The Suns give up the address of the Nuggets by 3 points

Instant reaction for the Nuggets. The day after losing to Spurs, synonymous with elimination from the NBA CupDavid Adelman’s men reacted violently on the floor of the Suns (112-130) to avoid defeat for the second match in a row, which has not yet happened to them this season.

From this part, we will remember the mastery shown by the inevitable Nikola Jokić, who did not miss a shot in the game and narrowly missed a triple-double (26 points with 7/7 shooting, 10 assists and 9 rebounds). But we will especially remember the skill shown during the evening by his teammates, who took advantage of his power of attraction.

Tim Hardaway Jr., Jamal Murray, and even Spencer Jones, with his awkward shooting mechanics, all shined behind the arc. They turned the game around in the third quarter, after a very even first period (60-63).

Holes in the Suns defense

Seconds after the break, Jamal Murray found Spencer Jones, left open in the corner, who converted. Jokic then found Cam Johnson for a 3-pointer off the screen, while Murray offered himself a “step back” and further behind the arc. This series of rewarding baskets, against a less reactive Suns defense, would allow Denver to gain a ten point lead.

Despite a good performance by Dillon Brooks (27 points), the Suns did not have the means to stay in the match for long, due to a much lower skill level and inability to punish the zone that was deployed opposite. Like Devin Booker who scored 14 of his 24 points at the free throw line but never found the 3-pointer (0/4).

Also, the home side eased up early in the final quarter, when Bruce Brown, the main distributor on Denver’s side with Jokic, found Cam Johnson, who Brooks had forgotten about. After Jonas Valanciunas’ 2+1, the same Brown overtook the entire opponent’s defense in transition and finished with his left hand. This sequence started with a 12-0 run for Denver (89-110), which was no longer caught in the score.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– Tim Hardaway Jr. it boils. Second outing of the season with 23 points for the scorer, this time as a substitute. The point guard continued to punish the Suns’ defensive shortcomings by shooting his highest volume of the year. Before this matchup, the former Pistons player already had a 40.6% success from behind the arc, establishing himself as one of the best shooters in the league and above all as the offensive weapon of choice on the Nuggets bench.

– Should the Nuggets shoot more? With 22 points last night, the Nuggets tied their season-best performance a few days earlier against the Grizzlies. But this time with a higher skill level: 58% on shots (22/38). With 38% success from distance during the season, Denver ranks 4th in the ranking of the most skilled teams of the championship. And that’s while the franchise from Colorado ranks in the top 10 teams… making the fewest 3-pointers (34 attempts per game).

– One less good move for the Suns. They haven’t lost two games in a row since the end of October. After losing to the Thunder the day before, Arizona football players fell again last night. This is the third loss in four games for them, who see their schedule getting more and more difficult, and a complicated “travel” ahead (Lakers, Rockets, Wolves).

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How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = point difference when the player is on the court; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.