Phoenix Suns Cook Denver Nuggets in Series Opener; Chris Paul Takes Over in Game 1
The Phoenix Suns stayed on fire in the NBA Playoffs as they cooked the Denver Nuggets, 122-105, with Chris Paul leading the cooking show for the Suns' fans.
Rally The Valley
The Denver Nuggets tried to freeze the Suns' offense by attacking the basket early in the game and shutting down Devin Booker. But the Phoenix Suns just waited for a perfect time for the oil to get hot and fried the Nuggets.
According to CBS Sports, Chris Paul and the Suns took control during the third quarter to draw the first blood in the series. All of the starters of the Suns scored at least double figures, with four of them even reaching the 20-point mark. Paul finished the game with 21 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds.
Moreover, the Suns' floor general also had plenty of help in their opening match-up against the Denver Nuggets. The trio, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, and Deandre Ayton all combined for 64 points, 19 rebounds, and 13 assists to put the 'W' for the Suns in the second-round series.
In addition, the whole Suns squad contributed to the win. Jae Crowder was the only Suns starter who did not reach the 20-point mark, but it did not become a problem for the home team as he hit timely shots which sparked the Suns' offense in the game. The Suns displayed a complete game on both ends; they held the Nuggets offense in each possible possession.
Despite being down early in the game, the Suns played with a whole boatload of energy to make up for their lack of shotmaking. They challenged every shot of the Nuggets which resulted in some misses.
The Suns only got the lead after a ton of effort and activity, they capitalized on the transition opportunities in taking the league.
Despite the move made by the Nuggets in switching their assignments, putting Aaron Gordon on Devin Booker full time, Austin Rivers on Chris Paul, and Facundo Campazzo on Mikal Bridges in the corner, still the Suns were able to orchestrate offensive explosion in the third period to establish separation.
The Phoenix Suns quickly burst for a 16-0 Suns run to take a 7-point lead. By the end of the quarter, the Suns were on a 25-7 run to take a 9-point lead in the 4th. Bridges exploded for 13 points in the third frame after the Nuggets tried to hide Campazzo on him. After that Chris Paul finished the game by burning some time in the clock while staying ahead on the game.
On the other hand, Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 22 points and nine rebounds in Game 1. But in the end, the Joker's performance was not enough to keep the game competitive down the stretch. Jokic is doing everything he can to get Deandre Ayton into foul trouble, but DA still handled the battle in the paint well, avoiding foul trouble, Bright Side of the Sun reported.
The Nuggets attacked the rim every chance they got, scoring 14 of their first 24 points in the paint, but they fell short at the closing quarter of the game.
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WATCH: Phoenix Suns vs Denver Nuggets Full GAME 1 Highlights | 2021 NBA Playoffs -from
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