May 2, 2023 (Jack87 News) – The NBA Semifinals continued to be fierce after the Phoenix Suns once again lost to the Denver Nuggets 87-97. The total score of the series fell behind 0-2. BK8 Booker scored 35 points and Paul withdrew from the game with a strained left groin. Jokic, on the other hand, scored 39 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists. This is the 19th time he has scored 30+ in the playoffs.
The score of the four quarters (Suns first): 21-18, 21-22, 31-30, 14-27.
Nuggets Player Stats: Jokic 39 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists, Pope 14 points and 5 rebounds, Murray 10 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists, Brown 9 points and 4 rebounds, Porter 5 points and 4 rebounds, Gordon 16 points.
Suns Player Stats: Durant 24 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, Ayton 14 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, Booker 35 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists, Paul 8 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists, Damien Lee 6 rebounds and 2 assists.
Bet99 Jokic took the initiative to attack at the beginning. He hit 3 points and scored 9 of the Nuggets’ first 12 points alone. Compared with the first game, the role players of the Suns were much stronger. Okogie and Biyombo scored consecutive inside shots, helping the Suns to overtake the score. With 3 minutes left in this section, Durant finally ended his personal scoring drought. He only made 2 of 8 shots in 12 minutes and contributed 4 points. In the first quarter, the Suns led 21-18.
In the second quarter, the Nuggets’ two substitutes, Brown and Green, scored consecutive inside shots. Gordon scored 4 points with shots and penalties. The Nuggets played an 8-0 spurt in less than 3 minutes. After the timeout, the Suns replaced Durant and Paul, Jokic assisted Murray to end the scoring drought. The Suns then replaced Booker, who made two emergency stop shots and scored, leading the team to complete a 6-2 spurt to stop the Nuggets. With 4 minutes left, the Nuggets’ offensive weakened significantly, while the Suns scored in turn with the Big Four. Booker made two three-pointers, Durant and Paul made mid-range shots one after another, and Ayton made an inside hook. At halftime, the Suns regained the lead 42-40, with Booker scoring 17 points.
In the third quarter, 22Bet Jokic took the lead in firing again. He hit two singles and soon broke through the 20-point mark. Paul made an emergency stop to make a mid-range shot, and he also assisted Booker. After the two teams tied at 48, the Big Four of the Suns once again hit a set of combined punches. After a 9-3 spurt, the Suns stopped the Nuggets. Paul just scored but was replaced and walked directly back to the locker room. After the Nuggets narrowed the point difference to 3 points, Booker made 3 free throws after a three-point foul. Ayton dunked inside, but on the defensive end, he immediately got the fourth foul and was replaced. To make matters worse, Jokic also caused Durant’s fourth foul. After three quarters, the Nuggets trailed by 3 points 70-73.
In the last quarter, the Suns officially confirmed that Paul will not go back in the game due to a strained left groin. The leaderless Suns were hit hard again with Pope hitting two consecutive three-pointers. The Nuggets completed an 8-0 spurt to overtake the score. Durant and Booker hit consecutive singles, while Jokic scored 4 points in a row to suppress the Suns. With 3 minutes left, Durant was blocked, Pope made a long three-pointer, Murray made a mid-range shot, and the Nuggets completed a 7-2 spurt to expand the point difference to 10 points. After that, Booker and Brown had a verbal conflict. Fortunately, the referee separated the two. In the end, the Phoenix Suns lost to the Denver Nuggets 87-97, trailing 0-2 in the series.
