Sports Writing (USA), May 5 (EFE).- Against the wall after losing the first two games in Denver, the Phoenix Suns needed some monumental performances from Devin Booker (47 points) and Kevin Durant (39) to prevail this Friday by 121-114 to the Nuggets at home and close the gap (1-2) in the semifinal series of the Western Conference of the NBA.
Without Chris Paul, out until at least the fourth game due to a pubic problem, Booker and Durant led the Suns by the hand and frustrated the tremendous triple double of 28 points, 17 rebounds and 18 assists by the Serbian Nikola Jokic and the 32 Jamal Murray points.
Under the gaze of stars such as the Spanish golfer Jon Rahm or Damian Lillard, point guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, the Suns recovered sensations at the Footprint Center, where they will return this Sunday for the fourth game, again with no margin for error to avoid a new upset in the ‘playoffs’ for a franchise that seeks the first ring in its history.
Booker and Durant scored 86 points for the Suns. The first connected twenty of his 25 field goals and sealed 47 with just two free throws, scored with six seconds to go with the game already sentenced. Durant supported him with 39, nine rebounds and eight assists and finished 12 of 31 from shots after starting 1 of 9.
Jokic’s magnificent performance was not enough for the Nuggets, who also gave his teammates rhythm and favored Michael Porter Jr.’s 18 points.
It was Booker to support the Suns in a difficult start to the game at the group level. The number one of the Suns signed fourteen of the first 21 points of his team and had already had 18 at halftime, with Durant stuck (only one of nine in shots) and with the Nuggets guided offensively by twelve points from Murray and by a Jokic always dominant under the rim.
And when Durant woke up, the Suns fired up their offensive level and sealed a 38-21 second period that gave them a fifteen-point lead at halftime at 67-52. Despite continuing without his usual success from the field, ‘KD’ signed fourteen points in that segment, which, together with another nine from Booker for a total of 27, sent the Arizonans to the locker room with an apparently solid margin.
But the Nuggets showed signs of significant mental growth, stuck to their plan and came out to bite after the break. They achieved a 25-9 run that allowed them to take the lead in just over half of the third quarter.
Jokic hit his team’s third 3-pointer in less than five minutes and Murray supported the board for 79-78 points that gave the Nuggets the lead for the first time since 37-36 in the second quarter.
Durant tried to end the losing streak with his first triple of the night, but the Suns could only salvage two points of margin to enter the fourth period, with Jokic already sporting a tremendous triple double of 19 points, eleven rebounds and fifteen assists and Murray with 28 points.
The Suns stepped on the accelerator, who began the last segment with a 9-0 run, the result of four points from Booker, a triple from Payne and a dunk from Durant to make it 99-88.
Of course, Monty Williams had to manage Booker’s foul problems, already five with eight minutes to play. Jokic, with a three-point play, forced the Suns’ timeout with three minutes to play and the score was 109-104.
Against the wall, this time the Suns managed to take a step forward and, with a triple by Warren and a great basket by Booker, they ran away 106-97 with just over a minute left on the clock.
A tremendous jump shot by Durant and Booker, from the free throw line for the first time in their game, sealed the final 121-114 for the Suns.
