The Phoenix Suns held the Denver Nuggets down since the start of the game. This time, it was a dominant defensive game for the Suns and impressively, Kevin Durant worked both sides of the floor. From the start of the second quarter, Phoenix made it their mission to maintain the lead until the end. Ultimately, they secured the 97-104.
KEVIN DURANT EFFICIENT 30 BALL AGAINST THE #1 SEED WE SLEEPING GOOD TONIGHT 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/PAP1pJo5bK
— 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘢☆ (@Stunna999_) March 28, 2024
The Nuggets were handed over their third loss since the 2024 All-Star break. This was also one of their lowest-scoring games this season. The Suns are making a push out of the Play-In Tournament berths. Phoenix is just under a game away from the sixth seed right now. However, Denver is holding onto the top seed in the Western Conference. But with this loss, they can easily be overthrown by the second and third seeds.
Phoenix Suns player stats
The Suns came into the Ball Arena with the intention upset Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. They shot 47% from the field, 48.5% from deep, and 90.9% from the free throw line. Durant led the game with 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists while recording five of the Suns’ seven blocks.
Player | Minutes | Points | Assists | Rebounds |
Kevin Durant | 38 | 30 | 3 | 13 |
Grayson Allen | 33 | 13 | 4 | 3 |
Drew Eubanks | 27 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
Bradley Beal | 37 | 10 | 7 | 4 |
Devin Booker | 37 | 17 | 9 | 5 |
Eric Gordon | 20 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
Royce O’Neale | 18 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
Trae Young | 18 | 6 | 2 | 9 |
Thaddeus Young | 18 | 6 | 2 | 9 |
Devin Booker had 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists while shooting 3-7 from deep. Grayson Allen has had a positive impact on scoring lately. He finished with 13 points while Bradley Beal contributed 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists. Eric Gordon scored 10 points coming off the bench.
Denver Nuggets player stats
The Nuggets did not have Jamal Murray on the floor against the Suns. This affected their overall scoring capacity as well. They shot 43.2% from the field, 25% from deep, and 91.7% from the free throw line. While it wasn’t an ordinary night for Jokic, he only finished with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Player | Minutes | Points | Assists | Rebounds |
Aaron Gordon | 36 | 18 | 2 | 6 |
Michael Porter Jr. | 33 | 18 | 0 | 8 |
Nikola Jokic | 42 | 22 | 10 | 9 |
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | 36 | 13 | 6 | 6 |
Reggie Jackson | 29 | 11 | 3 | 1 |
Peyton Watson | 19 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
Collin Gillespie | 16 | 8 | 3 | 1 |
Christian Braun | 15 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Justin Holiday | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Aaron Gordon contributed 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. Michael Porter Jr. also had 22 points while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson accumulated 24 points in total. Denver’s bench lineup could have done better. Unfortunately, no player from the second unit scored over 10 points.