The Phoenix Suns (12-8) welcomed the Denver Nuggets (13-5) at Mortgage Matchup Center Saturday.
Both teams were coming off close losses, with the Nuggets losing to the San Antonio Spurs, while the Suns were defeated by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Suns sat sixth in the Western Conference, while the Nuggets sat fifth, only one spot ahead of Phoenix, but two games ahead of them.
While Phoenix was without center Mark Williams (calf) and Ryan Dunn (wrist), Grayson Allen (quadriceps) and Jordan Goodwin (ankle) were listed as Game-Time Decision.
“Grayson and Goodwin will warm up,” Suns head coach Jordan Ott said. “If everything goes well, they’ll be ready to go for tonight.”
Williams had been averaging 9.2 rebounds per game.
“Something independently popped up with the calf,” Ott said regarding Williams. “Don’t think it’s too serious, but we want to play the long game with him. He’s done such a great job. Everything is pointing in the right direction.”
As for the Nuggets, they were without forward Aaron Gordon (hamstring), but the big question mark was Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.
The three-time MVP winner was listed on GTD with a left wrist sprain, and his presence was crucial for Denver, as he’s been averaging an astonishing triple-double per game, with 29.1 points per game, 12.6 RPG, and 11 assists per game.
His 12.6 RPS and 11 APG led the entire NBA.
Jokic was also the favorite to win the 2025 MVP entering the matchup despite only being 20 games into the season.
Even if Jokic had been ruled out, the Nuggets still had point guard Jamal Murray, who was averaging 24 PPG and 6.8 APG.
As for the Suns, Dillon Brooks was averaging 21.1 PPG and star Devin Booker was averaging 25.8 PPG and 6.9 APG.
Role-player Collin Gillespie of the Suns was one to watch coming off the bench, having scored a career high 24 points against the Thunder on Friday.
Before the game though, Jokic was cleared to play, which would no doubt lead to a big battle in the center position for Phoenix.
Allen and Goodwin were also given the green light to play for Phoenix, giving the Suns a bit more breathing room.
“It’s great to have him out there today,” Ott said regarding Allen. “Played so hard, right off the bat. He impacted the game on the defensive end. Took him a minute to get a bit of rhythm but, love to have him out there.”
After the first quarter, Denver led 30-25.
Gillespie had a great first quarter, grabbing nine points, all from downtown, while Booker had been all but silent, grabbing two points from the free-throw line.
“If we get a good look, it doesn’t matter if there’s 18 on the clock or six on the clock,” Ott said regarding Booker’s shot selection. “We’re going to take it. We’ve lost some playmakers; he’s got to make every play. That’s probably why he’s not taking as many. They’re putting two on him.”
As for the Nuggets—it was a one-man show—with Jokic having 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Murray also had eight points for good measure.
Entering the half, Denver led in a tight game, 63-60.
For the Nuggets, Jokic had 18 points, but Tim Hardaway stole the show in the second quarter, grabbing 17 points, going 5-for-8 from beyond the arc.
Brooks had 19 points for the Suns, and Gillespie had 12, all from the three-point line. Booker only had nine points but did have four assists entering the second half.
“We’re a three-point shooting team,” Ott said. “Multiple really good looks, that’s what we’ve got. We’ll continue to take the highest quality shots available.”
The Nuggets got off to a hot start entering the second half, hitting four from downtown to take a 10-point lead midway through the third quarter.
“I’m sure there were some breakdowns,” Ott said. “Again, in the first half, it felt like we had the group under wraps a little bit. We’ll continue to take a look.”
To make things worse, it looked like Brooks had injured his calf, as he was limping around the court after a play.
“Dillon is the ultimate competitor,” Ott said. “You’re never going to get what you think is wrong with him. He’s going to out there and play as hard as he can. Everyone’s a little banged up. I didn’t notice anything.”
Entering the fourth, Denver’s shooting from downtown had paid off, taking a 96-85 lead over Phoenix.
The Suns were led by Booker, who had 18 points, with Royce O’Neale stepping up grabbing 12 points.
As for Denver, while Jokic had 23 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, Hardaway had 23 points, and Murray had 22 points.
Despite winning the turnover battle 15-7, Phoenix found themselves down due to Denver’s shooting from three, hitting 60% of all three-pointers.
“We weren’t good enough in the rotation,” Ott said. “At times I thought we took away the rim. That’s what they do. We ended up with similar points in the paint as they do. They usually crush teams in there, so we’ll take a look.”
The Nuggets then went on a 10-0 run to give them a 21-point lead, and with only eight minutes left to play; it seemed like the nail in the coffin for Phoenix.
In the end, Denver never looked back, securing a 130-112 win over the Suns.
“We’ll have to take a look,” Ott said. “But that’s basketball. A little fatigue, back-to-back (games) for both of us and it’s who can maintain longer.”
Denver ended the night with three players over 20 points, as Jokic had 26; Murray had 24, and Hardaway finished with 23.
Jokic finished with a double-double but was one rebound away from a triple-double as he had 26 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds.
“Felt like at times they caught a little rhythm with Jokic in the first half,” Ott said. “And then second half, we just couldn’t keep up with him.”
He nearly went perfect when shooting, going 7-for-7 from the court; 2-for-2 from three, and went 10-for-11 from the line.
Brooks finished with 27 points while Booker finished with 24 points.
Gillespie was frozen out of the game after the first half, as he finished with 12 points, the same amount he had after two quarters.
The Suns drop to 12-9 while Phoenix will visit the Los Angeles Lakers at crypto.com Arena on Monday.