Devin Booker pours in 47 as Suns top Nuggets in Game 3
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[May 06, 2023]
Devin Booker matched his career playoff high of 47 points and
Kevin Durant added 39 as the Phoenix Suns captured a pivotal 121-114
home win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of their series on Friday
night.
Booker made 20 of 25 field-goal attempts and added nine assists, six
rebounds and three steals as the fourth-seeded Suns cut their deficit to
2-1 in the Western Conference semifinals. Durant added nine rebounds and
eight assists to go with a shaky 12-of-31 shooting performance for
Phoenix. |
May 5, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix
Suns guard Devin Booker (1) celebrates against the Denver Nuggets in the
second half during game three of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Footprint
Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports |
Jamal Murray had 32 points, six rebounds and
five assists and Nikola Jokic recorded 30 points and 17 rebounds
while setting a playoff career best with 17 assists for
top-seeded Denver. Michael Porter Jr. made six 3-pointers while
contributing 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Nuggets.
Game 4 in the best-of-seven series is Sunday night at Phoenix.
The Suns played without Chris Paul (groin), who also might miss
Game 4.
Phoenix shot 50.5 percent from the field, including 9 of 28
(32.1 percent) from 3-point range. Booker hit on 5 of 8
3-pointers.
The Nuggets connected on 44.3 percent of their shots and were 10
of 30 (33.3 percent) from behind the arc. Denver's Bruce Brown
scored 11 points.
Denver, which trailed by 11 points early in the fourth quarter,
crept within five on Jokic's tip-in with 8.6 seconds left.
Booker made two free throws -- his only attempts of the game --
to wrap it up with 6.6 seconds remaining.
The Nuggets trailed 67-52 at halftime before opening the third
quarter with a 27-11 burst. Murray scored back-to-back baskets
to cap the surge and give Denver a 79-78 edge with 5:03
remaining.
Durant answered with a trey to put Phoenix back ahead. The
Nuggets were later up by three before the Suns rattled off the
next 14 points -- the final five of the third quarter and the
first nine of the fourth -- to take a 99-88 advantage with 9:43
remaining in the contest.
Denver missed 13 of its first 14 field-goal attempts in the
final stanza until Jokic's layup with 5:59 left cut the Suns'
lead to 103-96.
A three-point play by Jokic pulled Denver within 109-104 with
3:04 remaining. The Nuggets again were within five after a
three-point play by Porter with 2:05 left before T.J. Warren got
a favorable bounce on a jumper and Booker drove for a layup to
make it 116-107 with 1:05 to go.
Booker scored 27 first-half points and Durant added 21 as the
Suns held the 15-point lead at the break. Booker scored 18
points in the opening period and Durant tallied 18 in the
second.
Murray had 17 first-half points for Denver.
--Field Level Media
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