Devin Booker pours in 47 as Phoenix Suns top Denver Nuggets in Game 3
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The Phoenix Suns' Kevin Durant (left) and Devin Booker scored a combined 86 points.
PHOTO: AFP
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PHOENIX – Devin Booker said “it’s not time to fold up now” after he matched his career play-off high of 47 points and Kevin Durant added 39, as the Phoenix Suns captured a pivotal 121-114 home win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of their series on Friday night.
Only five pairs in National Basketball Association history have combined for more points in the play-offs than the duo’s 86.
Booker made 20 of 25 field-goal attempts and added nine assists, six rebounds and three steals as the fourth-seeded Suns cut their deficit to 2-1 in the Western Conference semi-finals.
Booker, arguably the most impressive performer this post-season, told ESPN: “It’s not time to fold up now... Just trying to be aggressive, being ultra aggressive. I understand that opens things up for my teammates when I play that way.”
Suns coach Monty Williams added: “He doesn’t run from the tough stuff. I just think it’s his make-up. He understands not having Chris (Paul) puts more on his plate, but I don’t think he forced it the way that you would think.
“He allowed the game to happen naturally and then when there were opportunities for him to push the issue, he was pretty efficient.”
His opposite number, Michael Malone, called his team’s defence on Booker “unacceptable”. Durant added nine rebounds and eight assists to go with a shaky 12-of-31 shooting performance for Phoenix.
He said: “I missed so many good looks early. Second quarter, I just tried to put my head down and get to the rim... They’re just sitting in the paint sometimes, so I just had to be aggressive to the rim.”
Jamal Murray had 32 points, six rebounds and five assists and Nikola Jokic recorded 30 points and 17 rebounds while setting a play-off career best with 17 assists for top-seeded Denver.
Jokic told ESPN: “We know who we need to stop, but they’re talented players.
“They’re the problem. I will say they’re the two best scorers probably in the league right now who can create a shot. Teams can send double teams, send another body and they can still go and make tough shots.”
Michael Porter Jr made six three-pointers while contributing 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Nuggets.
The Suns played without Paul (groin), who also might miss Game 4 in the best-of-seven series on Sunday night in Phoenix.
Phoenix shot 50.5 per cent from the field, including nine of 28 (32.1 per cent) from three-point range. Booker connected on five of eight treys.
The Nuggets connected on 44.3 per cent of their shots and were 10 of 30 (33.3 per cent) from behind the arc. Denver’s Bruce Brown scored 11 points.
Denver, who trailed by 11 points early in the fourth quarter, crept to within five on Jokic’s tip-in with 8.6 seconds left. Booker made two free throws – his only attempts of the game – to wrap it up with 6.6sec remaining. REUTERS
