Phoenix, Arizona - It's game on in the Western Conference semifinals as Phoenix Suns duo Devin Booker and Kevin Durant combined for 86 points in a 121-114 win over the Denver Nuggets to make it 2-1 in the series.

Nuggets center Nikola Jokić put together another resplendent outing with 28 points, 17 rebounds, and 17 assists, but it was Booker (47 points) and Durant (39 points) who stole the show.

With Phoenix point guard Chris Paul out due to a groin injury suffered in Game 2, Denver coach Michael Malone said he expected Durant and Booker to be extra aggressive facing a 2-0 deficit and staring into the abyss that is a three-game deficit in the NBA postseason. They certainly answered his call.

Booker hit 12 of his 15 shots for 27 points in the first half while Durant, who shot six free throws in the first two games of the series in Denver, converted 11 of 12 from the line in the first half and had scored 21 by intermission. The pair's scoring powered a 67-52 halftime lead that swelled to as many as 16 in the opening minute of the third quarter.

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Denver showed its mettle and climbed back into the game in front of a juiced Footprint Center crowd.

The Nuggets turned a 69-54 deficit into a 79-78 lead in 6 minutes, 25 seconds of dominant third-quarter play, sparked by an 11-point burst from Game 1 hero Jamal Murray and a 12-of-21 shooting performance overall in the period. Jokić had booked his ninth postseason triple-double midway through the third quarter.

But soon after Denver took the lead, the Suns’ explosive duo hit right back.

On the strength of two tough Booker finishes and a Durant dunk in transition, Phoenix opened the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run to push its advantage back to 11.

While Booker and Durant handled the heavy lifting and then some, the Nuggets have relied on depth and consistency through their hot postseason start. They got too little early on Friday night.

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Aaron Gordon picked up three first-half fouls, missed all five of his shots in the first 24 minutes, and had one rebound. The Suns turned two Michael Porter Jr. turnovers early into transition points.

Nothing came quite so easily on the road for Denver as their series lead was halved.