Denver VS Phoenix Game 3
The Phoenix Suns defeated the Denver Nuggets 121- 114 at home in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinals on Friday. Then’s what you need to know
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| Denver VS Phoenix Game 3 |
Devin Booker( 47 points) and Kevin Durant( 39 points) combined for 86 points. Booker, 20- of- 25 from the field, hit that total with only two free gamble attempts in the game. 3. Jamal Murray led Denver with 32 points in defeat. Nikola Jokić added 30 points, 17 assists and 17 rebounds. 4. Denver now leads the series 2- 1. Game 4 is Sunday at 8p.m. ET.
Booker refuses to lose
This was one of those nights that Booker was n’t going to let Phoenix lose, and it was egregious from the opening twinkles. That’s what stars do in this league. They deliver when demanded most. With Chris Paul( groin) out and Durant missing eight of his first nine shots, Booker carried the Suns for a while. Indeed formerly KD got going, Booker did n’t stop. He scored 47 points and did n’t essay a free gamble until the final 10 seconds. That’s remarkable. Without Booker’s performance, this would be just about over. rather, the Suns have a chance to indeed this series on Sunday.
Suns succeed despite Ayton’s struggles
It’s enough amazing the Suns set up a way to win after getting so little from Deandre Ayton. The Suns big man has not been great in this series, but he has n’t been awful. He'd equaled 14 points and7.5 rebounds through the first two games. In Game 3, he was anon-factor in 26 twinkles. Eventually, after Ayton missed outside and lost a protective answer, trainer Monty Williams pulled him with five twinkles remaining.
During a downtime, Ayton talked with assistant trainers. He talked with Paul. He looked frustrated. He finished with four points and nine rebounds. The Suns survived it Friday. They wo n’t for the rest of the series.
Why Denver lost Game 3? 11.
This came down to Denver not getting stops or making baskets down the stretch in the fourth quarter. It also came down to eventually losing thenon-Jokić twinkles for the first time in the series. Down 90- 88 heading into the fourth quarter, with Jokić taking a rest, the Nuggets surrendered a 9- 0 run in two twinkles and they could noway recover from a 99- 88 deficiency.
What went wrong for Denver’s defense
Denver trainer Michael Malone labeled his platoon defense on Devin Booker “ inferior. ” He said the Nuggets were n’t physical enough defensively, did n’t pick up grandly enough on the bottom and were n’t competitive enough when it signified. Malone said the Nuggets had one good quarter defensively, the third quarter, but other than that were n’t good enough on that end to win a playoff game on the road.
Rearmost laying ODDS
15. Moneyline PHX(- 180)| DEN( 155)
Point spread PHX-4| DEN 4
Over Under 225
HOW TO WATCH
What The Denver Nuggets face the Phoenix Suns in a Western Conference NBA Playoffs game. 20. When Game 3 is Friday, May 5 at 7p.m. PT/ 10p.m. ET
SCHEDULE & RESULTS
• Game 1 Nuggets 125, Suns 107- FINAL
• Game 2 Nuggets 97, Suns 87- FINAL
• Game 3 Nuggets at Suns, 7p.m. PT/ 10p.m. ET on Friday, May 5( ESPN)
• Game 4 Nuggets at Suns, 5p.m. PT/ 8p.m. ET on Sunday, May 7( TNT)
• * Game 5 Suns at Nuggets, TBA on Tuesday, May 9( TNT)
• * Game 6 Nuggets at Suns, TBA on Thursday, May 11( ESPN)
• * Game 7 Suns at Nuggets, TBA on Sunday, May 14( TBA)
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| Denver VS Phoenix Game 3 |
