NBA Playoffs: The Suns blaze past the Nuggets on their way to the Western Conference Finals
Denver, Colorado – The Phoenix Suns are on their way to the Western Conference Finals after sweeping the Denver Nuggets on the road.
The Suns won game four on Sunday night 125-118, finishing off the Nuggets and moving on to face either the top-seeded Jazz or the Clippers in the next round. Once again, Chris Paul (36) and Devin Booker shined as they led the Suns right past the Nuggets in a tense Game 4, one that saw the league’s MVP get ejected towards the end.
Sunday night’s game was truly do-or-die for Denver, but the Suns have been in control throughout the entire series, hardly ever giving the Nuggets a glimmer of hope. The NBA’s Most Valuable Player, Nikola Jokic had been a factor against the Suns but might’ve been more and more frustrated by a lackluster supporting cast, as each game progressed. That frustration came to a head quite literally as he went in on Suns guard Cameron Payne with a hard foul late in the third quarter of Sunday’s game.
Booker came to his teammate’s aid by getting in Jokic’s face, but by then, the officials had made up their minds in handing a Flagrant-2 foul to Jokic along with a technical foul, resulting in the MVP’s ejection from the game. From that point on, Phoenix’s win was all theirs for the taking.
Chris Paul, who has played nothing short of plain marvelous in this series, committing only five turnovers in four games, led all scorers with 37 points while Booker was right behind him with 34.
Will the Suns stay hot through the Conference Finals?
Phoenix has now won seven consecutive playoff games in this postseason, and with the way they’re playing, they could make it eight or even more. Paul is masterfully handling the ball like his younger self of a decade ago, and Booker can score almost at will now. With other role players like Deandre Ayton in the middle at center, with Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder also playing well, they could take the Clippers or the overall number one seeded Jazz in the Conference finals.
The Suns get to rest up a little with the Western Conference Finals starting as early as Friday, June 18.
Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire