Nuggets-Suns Instant Reactions: Denver Shoots the Lights Out in Phoenix

The Denver Nuggets looked to bounce back just 24 hours removed from a crushing loss to the San Antonio Spurs, sinking their bid for the NBA Cup. They hopped on another plane overnight and traveled to Phoenix to take on the scrappy Suns.

Early turnovers put the result in danger, but the Nuggets cleaned it up, and their offense took off thanks to some extremely hot shooting. They shot 58% from deep in their 14th win of the season.

Final score: 130-112

Nuggets postgame pod

Jokić was aggressive early, feasted at the line

Jokić led all scorers in the first quarter at Phoenix. The Suns weren’t as effective as the Spurs in forcing the ball out of his hands, and he enjoyed more room to operate. He wasted little time getting heavily involved as a scorer.

In the first 12 minutes, Jokić shot 4/4 from the field and 4/4 from the free-throw line as the Nuggets worked their way out of an early deficit.

The Suns had more success denying the ball altogether in the second quarter. They got in the ball handler’s grill, and the Nuggets failed to make some simple entry passes. But Jokić continued to draw fouls and feasted at the line. He shot 7/8 from the stripe in the first half, leading Denver with 18 points.

Jokić pushed his total to 23 points in the third quarter and played only briefly in the fourth. His services weren’t really needed as the second unit slammed the door shut. Of course, he still led the team in scoring, finishing with 26 in 31 minutes. He shot 7/7 from the field, 2/2 from deep, and 10/11 from the line.

Early turnovers threatened to sink Denver

When the Nuggets protect the ball, they’re awfully hard to beat. But turnovers have plagued them in all of their losses this season, and that dynamic reared its ugly head in Phoenix.

The Nuggets turned it over four times in the first three minutes of the game, digging an early hole on the road. They turned it over six times in the first quarter and four more times in the second. By halftime, Jokić, Jamal Murray, and Cam Johnson had combined for eight of Denver’s 10 giveaways.

The Nuggets avoided turning it over for the first six minutes of the third quarter. Then they turned it over three times in about three minutes. Thankfully, they slowed the bleeding, and the 16 total turnovers didn’t prevent them from grabbing another win on the second night of a back-to-back.

Tim Faraway Jr.

Tim Hardaway Jr. checked in and went right to work. The second unit’s sharpshooter got seven threes up in his first 12 minutes on the floor. He finished the first half with 10 shots (eight of them from deep) and five makes from three-point range. He scored 17 points in 18 minutes, carrying the offense while Jokić rested.

Hardaway Jr. picked up where he left off after halftime, shooting 2/3 from deep in the third quarter. It stopped there for Tim, but by that point, the shooting had become contagious.

Scorching hot in Phoenix

Hardaway Jr. wasn’t the only hot hand. The Nuggets shot 22/38 from deep, just two makes away from tying the organization’s high-water mark. Murray also poured them in on high volume, shooting 5/10 from distance. Jokić made both of his attempts. Cam Johnson shot 3/6. And the G-League sharpshooter, Spencer Jones, finally got hot in a Nuggets uniform. He went 4/6 from three-point range.

As a team, the Nuggets shot 58% from the field, 58% from 3, and 95% from the free-throw line.