Fourth-quarter surge helps Denver Nuggets to 2-0 lead over Phoenix Suns
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Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic (right) en route to scoring 39 points in the 97-87 win over the Phoenix Suns.
PHOTO: AFP
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DENVER – Denver Nuggets star centre Nikola Jokic is already the National Basketball Association’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in his coach Michael Malone’s eyes, a day before the award is announced.
The Serb scored 39 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as the Nuggets beat the Phoenix Suns 97-87 at home on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semi-finals.
“I love an aggressive Nikola Jokic,” Malone said. “Nikola’s an MVP for a reason. He can take over a game. He can beat you in a lot of ways. I love a guy who’s getting to the basket, imposing his will upon the other team.”
When asked if he feels that Jokic has edged out the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks for his third straight MVP award, he added: “If he wins, it, we will be celebrating and very happy for him because it’d be a huge accomplishment – three years in a row.
“Only a few guys in NBA history have done that.
“If he doesn’t win it, I’m still gonna give him a hug and tell him he’s the MVP in my eyes.”
Jokic was supported by Aaron Gordon’s 16 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 14 points and made all four of his three-point attempts for the Nuggets, who held Phoenix to 14 points in the fourth quarter.
Jamal Murray scored 10 points and dished out eight assists.
Devin Booker scored 35 points, Kevin Durant had 24 and Deandre Ayton added 14 for the Suns, who lost Chris Paul to left groin tightness in the third quarter.
Paul produced eight points and six assists in 25 minutes.
Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Friday in Phoenix.
After a high-scoring Game 1 on Saturday night (a 125-107 Nuggets win), the defences were in control in the first half of Game 2.
Both teams struggled to make shots but Phoenix used nine offensive rebounds to outscore Denver 8-0 in second-chance points and lead 42-40 at half-time.
The Suns started to surge again in the third quarter.
The game was tied at 48 before Durant hit a pair of free throws, Booker and Paul made pull-up jumpers, Durant drained a three-pointer and Paul hit an 18-footer to give Phoenix a 59-51 lead.
The Nuggets got within 59-56 on a three-point play from Michael Porter Jr, but the Suns stretched the lead to 68-61 on a Booker jump shot.
But Jokic scored Denver’s last nine points of the period to get the Nuggets to within 73-70 heading into the fourth quarter, in which they then outscored the Suns 27-14 to seal the win.
Malone was thrilled with his team’s performance in the final period.
“That fourth quarter, man, 14 points for that team, 28 per cent from the field, 0-for-9 from three,” he added. REUTERS
