The Denver Nuggets haven’t really been given the respect they deserved for much of this 2022-23 NBA season but they perhaps will get it now.
The Nuggets demolished the Phoenix Suns 125-107 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals and when Kevin Durant was asked afterward if he was surprised by how well Denver played, he kept it real.
“The Nuggets? Surprised?” Durant asked. “Am I surprised by the Nuggets? Hell no! They’re the No. 1 seed for a reason. They got (a) two-time MVP, they got a deep team. No, I’m not surprised. They can go off and win games. We got our work cut off for us, we’re looking forward to Game 2 though.”
“Am I surprised about the Nuggets? HELL NO!. They're the No. 1 seed for a reason."
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 30, 2023
The Nuggets sat atop the standings in the West for much of the season and finished at the top with a 53-29 record but a poor finish to the campaign had led to many writing them off. They showed here exactly why they were the top dog with a statement win and the Suns will have to play a lot better if they are to win this series.
Durant had team-high marks of 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks in Game 1, but he turned it over 7 times. We haven’t seen Durant take over a game yet in these playoffs, something he is fully capable of, and the Suns will be hoping he can do it at some point in this series.
The Two Stars On The Nuggets Outperformed Their Suns Counterparts
To go with Durant’s 29 points, Devin Booker had 27 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 blocks. It was a good showing but it wasn’t anything like what we had seen from Booker against the Los Angeles Clippers. He had Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue admitting that they had no answers for him but the Nuggets did a fairly decent job on him here.
As for the two stars on the Nuggets, Jamal Murray ended the night with a game-high 34 points and also had 5 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals. When the Suns were somewhat creeping back in the game in the fourth quarter, he shut the door with some big shots to ensure there was no comeback. Nikola Jokic did his part too, with 24 points, 19 rebounds (8 offensive), and 5 assists. If the two stars on each team cancel each other out or if the two on the Nuggets outperform their Suns counterparts, then this series might be over fairly quickly.
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