Denver Nuggets 105-122 Phoenix Suns: Chris Paul leads a fiery attack in 4th quarter to overcome Nikola Jokic and co.; here are 5 talking points from Game 1 | 2021 NBA Playoffs Round 2
The Phoenix Suns dominated the Denver Nuggets 122-105 in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Chris Paul led a balanced attack as the Suns took a 1-0 lead in their best-of-seven series.
Paul had his first double-double of the postseason with 21 points and 11 assists. More importantly, he took care of the ball and turned it over just once despite a frantic fourth quarter. Mikal Bridges was the top scorer with 23 points, while Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton contributed 21 and 20 points, respectively.
The game was a nip-and-tuck affair in the first half until the Denver Nuggets took a double-digit lead midway through the third quarter. However, the Phoenix Suns found a way to erase a 10-point third-quarter deficit thanks to Bridges.
Before the quarter was over, the Nuggets' lead evaporated just as quickly as it appeared, and the game was practically over from there.
Here are 5 talking points from the Denver Nuggets vs Phoenix Suns game:
1. Another blowout win for the Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns routed the LA Lakers in the last two games of the previous series, and they are now dominating another opponent in Round 2. The Denver Nuggets did not know what hit them, as Paul and company delivered one haymaker after another.
Knocking down 54.1 percent of their shots from the field, the Phoenix Suns showed fans and critics that they are genuine title contenders with their third straight blowout victory.
2. Nikola Jokic vs Deandre Ayton is better than advertised
Who would’ve thought that third-year center Deandre Ayton could match up this well against MVP candidate Nikola Jokic?
Many fans thought that the Denver Nuggets center would outplay the 22-year-old Phoenix Suns star in the series. However, Ayton proved that he could compete with the best big men in the game.
The Phoenix Suns center outplayed Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol and Andre Drummond in the first round. He showed that he could take on his Denver Nuggets counterpart by having a 20-point, 10-rebound game.
Jokic scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Unfortunately, his efforts went for naught as his teammates could not penetrate the Suns’ defense.
3. Phoenix Suns defense impresses
When the Denver Nuggets had a 10-point lead in the third quarter, the Phoenix Suns stifled their opponents with their defense, getting in the passing lanes and forcing several turnovers to turn the game around.
After making 53.2 percent of their shots in the first half, the Denver Nuggets ended up shooting 46.7 percent from the field overall.
The huge turnaround was due to the Phoenix Suns’ solid defense from midway through the third quarter all the way to the fourth quarter. The Suns also kept the Nuggets at bay with their stifling defense at the three-point line, as the latter shot just 35 percent from beyond the arc.
4. Chris Paul is healthy again
After injuring his shoulder in Game 1 of the LA Lakers series, Chris Paul struggled as a playmaker and as a shooter for almost the entirety of Round 1. However, in Game 1 of the semifinals, the Phoenix Suns guard played like an All-Star again.
The Phoenix Suns ran away from the Denver Nuggets, with Paul taking over offensively in the fourth quarter. He scored 10 straight points for the Suns in a span of two minutes, extending their nine-point lead to 16 with less than nine minutes remaining.
5. The Denver Nuggets missed Jamal Murray
If there was ever a time in the postseason that the Denver Nuggets missed Jamal Murray, this was it. Murray tore his ACL during the regular season and was sidelined for the rest of the 2020-21 campaign.
The Nuggets' deep roster made up for Murray’s absence during the games that he missed previously. However, the team’s inability to score during the latter part of the third quarter dug them a hole that they could not get out of. Had Murray been around, he would’ve been able to stabilize the offense.
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