The Nuggets needed a bounce-back performance after a defensive no-show against the Spurs to end their NBA Cup chances. Both Denver and Phoenix looked fatigued at times after getting in late Saturday morning, but hot shooting from everyone, including a career night for Spencer Jones, snuffed out the Suns early attempts to hack-and-gun their way to an upset.

The Nuggets forgot they were playing a professional basketball game for the first four minutes. The Suns zerged to an 8-0 lead, outworking the Nuggets on both ends and forcing 5 early turnovers, prompting a quick timeout. Jokic broke the drought with a dunk, and after several misses by Phoenix and Watson’s aggression on the defensive glass, the lead was cut to 11-6. A Murray three followed by a layup on a Jokic feed and the game was tied 11-11 at the halfway point of the first.

Murray continued to push the pace to close out the quarter. After the teams traded several missed shots and turnovers, Jamal drained a step-back three, giving the Nuggets their first lead. Jokic added a pair of FTs, and a Collin Gillespie turnover led to a Tim Hardaway Jr. jumper and a six-point lead—a sign of much more THJ scoring to come. Jokic and former Nuggets great Gillespie traded threes, then Hardaway and Gillespie went back-to-back. Nikola closed out the quarter with two free throws, giving the Nuggets a miraculous 30-25 after a lethargic start.

The second quarter was a continuation of the THJ show. Matching every punch Gillespie and Brooks could throw to start the quarter, THJ went tit-for-tat with 5/8 from three,17 first-half points. Murray helped as he came back into the game, hitting a pair of free throws to reclaim the Nuggets lead, 50-49. The Nuggets leaned on the Jokic/Murray two-man game to close out the quarter, capped off by a Murray three-point pullup to maintain a one-point lead. After an alley-oop layup from Jokic to Watson, the Nuggets went to the locker room with a 63-60 lead.

Both teams came out sluggish but firing from deep. Spencer Jones corked up a corner three to solidify the lead. Johnson followed that up with his second three of the game, extending the lead to 69-62. After a pair of bailout free throws for the Suns, Murray’s step-back three made him 4/7 from distance for 15 points. Booker kicked out his leg on a corner three, catching PWat and earning him three free-throws to get the Suns back to within 5. But a pair of Jokic freebies and Murray’s fifth three ballooned the lead to 77-67 with 7:08 left in the third. Following a Suns timeout, Jokic hit his second three to give the Nuggets their biggest lead of the game.

Despite being 0/9 from three in the third, the Suns clawed back with aggressive perimeter defense. The comeback began with two steals on bad Murray passes and a strip of Nikola, closing the gap to 82-76. Back in and still firing, though, Hardaway drilled a triple, and Jokic found Watson for a corner three to give the Nuggets a 12-point lead. THJ matched a Suns three, making him 7/10 from deep for 23 points, and Murray capped off a dominant quarter with a spinning layup and-one, solidifying a 96-85 lead for the good guys going into the fourth.

Nov 29, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) celebrates a shot against the Phoenix Suns in the first half at the Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Jonas, Brown, Jones, Johnson, and Hardaway Jr. secured and built on the early fourth quarter lead. Bruce found Val on a cut for his sixth assist and then went coast-to-coast off a rebound, shades of his 2023 game and giving the Nuggets a 16-point lead. After Jones’ second corner three(!) and a 21-point lead at the 8:00 mark, the rout was on. Murray checked back in for a vintage fadeaway at the top of the lane as the Suns tried to regroup for one last push.

With 6 minutes remaining, the Nuggets are shooting 59% from the field, 59% from 3, and 95% from the free throw line.

Scorching hot in Phoenix.

— Brendan Vogt (@BrendanVogt) November 30, 2025

Jokic checked back in with four minutes left to seal the win. He immediately found Cam for a three and then Jones for a dunk and his10th assist, leading to the Suns throwing in the towel.

FINAL SCORE: Nuggets 130, Suns 112

GAME NOTES:

Jokic finished 26/9/10, his 68th Sombor Double

The Nuggets have now won 10 straight road games on back-to-backs

Spencer Jones’ 4 threes led to a career-high 16 points