The Nuggets have a chance to close out the Suns tonight in Phoenix. What’s the key for Denver to end the series tonight and who’s the Nuggets’ X-factor in Game 6? Also, do you trust Denver’s bench at this point in the series?
What do the Nuggets have to do tonight to win the series?
Adam Mares: Limit Phoenix’s transition opportunities.
Michael Malone simplified this series when he said that the Nuggets will win the series if they keep the Suns attack to the half court. The most common prelude to the Suns’ fastbreak chances in this series has been bad shots. The Nuggets aren’t turning the ball over much but whenever their offense falls out of rhythm and takes bad shots they give up transition baskets. If they can play patiently at connected on the offensive end then I think the Suns will never find a rhythm like they did in the 2nd quarter of game 5.
Harrison Wind: Tire out Devin Booker, just like they did in Game 5.
That was the key to slowing him down, in my opinion. Booker still led the Suns with 28 points, but he shot 8-19 from the floor. It was the first time Booker has shot below 47% in a game in these playoffs. The Nuggets sporadically picked Booker up full-court, they ran him off screens all night and actually made him work for the first time all series. It was effective, although there was chatter at Ball Arena following Game 5 about a foot injury that Booker suffered when Jeff Green fouled him on a fast break in the first half. If Booker’s not 100% in Game 6, it’s even more paramount that the Nuggets try to tire him out when he’s both on offense and defense.
Brendan Vogt: Keep up the half-court defense.
The fellas are right about the battlegrounds above. The half-court defense is still something Denver can clean up on the road. Denver’s strategy of doubling Booker in Game 4 was tenable. It was the execution while rotating behind it that cost them. Yes, Landry Shamet can hit those shots at home. But they don’t have to be wide-open. A disciplined and relentless effort in Game 6 could save them time and energy in the long run. The pressure is on the Suns. Don’t bail anyone out—especially the role players.
Who’s Denver’s X-factor in Game 6?
Mares: Michael Porter Jr.
When he scores, the Nuggets win. He’s coming off of his best game of the series and a big reason why the Nuggets survived the sole Suns run in the first half. If he can knock down a couple of threes early, it will go a long way toward helping the Nuggets survive the inevitable early punch in game 6.
Wind: Bruce Brown
Role players have swung this series, and when the Nuggets’ *others* have played well, Denver has typically won in these playoffs. The same goes for the Suns. Bruce Brown was the ultimate home-road role player this season, and it’s continued in the playoffs. In six playoff games at Ball Arena, Brown is averaging 13.7 points on 56.3% shooting. In four road playoff games, Brown’s scoring has dipped to 9.8 points on 51.5% shooting. If Brown has another high-impact game like he had in Game 6 — 25 points (7-11 FG’s, 9-10 FT’s) — Denver wins Game 6. He’s shown that he can carry the bench scoring.
Vogt: Michael Porter Jr.
Denver should feed Porter early and often in Game 6. Not only is he a microwave scorer who can help them separate, but he’s also one piece of the puzzle in solving Devin Booker. They need to tire him out, as Wind said, and that can be done on both ends of the floor. MPJ’s been a bailout assignment for most of the series, but Booker had to work early in Game 5. Let’s find out if Porter’s still feeling it.
Do you trust the Nuggets’ bench to deliver tonight, or should Michael Malone switch up his rotation?
Mares: I don’t think Malone can switch up the rotation this late into the series and on the road. But I also doubt that the Nuggets’ bench will deliver tonight. Bruce may provide a boost but I wouldn’t count on a repeat performance of game 5. Closeout games are often about the stars and I think this game needs to be won by big performances from the starters.
Wind: I’m one of the few who was OK with Malone sticking with his usual trio off the bench in Game 5. And that group played fine. The Nuggets were only outscored by two points with Nikola Jokic off the floor. That’s a success. I like Peyton Watson and would have been cool with seeing him play a few minutes in this series, but I wonder if the risk with Watson is worth more than the reward right now. Throwing him into this setting — and especially not that this series shifts back to Phoenix — is a high-risk maneuver. I don’t have a ton of trust in the bench to deliver that same performance on the road, but I think it might still be the safest option.
Vogt: Plan A is likely standing pat. And that’s just fine. Still, keeping some alternative options in the back pocket is fine, too. If Jeff Green’s struggling, and the second unit isn’t generating stops, is it the worst thing in the world to try Peyton Watson for a few minutes? I’m not clamoring for the move, but I don’t see why it’s off the table. To answer the question directly: I don’t trust any configuration of the bench on the road.
