After reconciling with Suns owner Mat Ishbia, Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double, and Michael Porter Jr. connected on five 3-pointers to help the Denver Nuggets defeat Phoenix 118-102 to take a 3-2 series lead.
Joker broke a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for the most by a centre in NBA history with his triple-double of 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists. This was his 10th career postseason triple-double.
Jokic, who had just put up a career-high 53 points in Game 4, stated, “To be honest, I just like to win the game, so whatever it takes.”
Phoenix will host Game 6 on Thursday night.
”If we play like we did today,” Jokic said, ”we’re going to have a shot” to win the series and make it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the NBA bubble in 2020.
DENVER, CO (AP) After reconciling with Suns owner Mat Ishbia, Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double, and Michael Porter Jr. connected on five 3-pointers to help the Denver Nuggets defeat Phoenix 118-102 to take a 3-2 series lead.
Joker broke a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for the most by a centre in NBA history with his triple-double of 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists. This was his 10th career postseason triple-double.
Jokic, who had just put up a career-high 53 points in Game 4, stated, “To be honest, I just like to win the game, so whatever it takes.”
Phoenix will host Game 6 on Thursday night.
”If we play like we did today,” Jokic asserted, ”we’re going to have a chance” to win the series and move on to the next round.
the first time since the NBA bubble in 2020, the Western Conference Finals.
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The Suns are sure that they can recover from this setback just like they did after recovering from two losses in Denver the previous week.
“Yeah. Devin Booker, a prominent player for Phoenix, stated, “I’ve been in here a few times lately. “I adore it. Each game has a unique character. Each game has its own movie, distinct preparation, and supporting cast. We’re going to watch a movie to see how we can improve.
for Game Six.”
In the series, the home side has triumphed in every game. If that is the case once more, the decisive winner-take-all matchup will take place on Sunday in Denver, where the top-seeded Nuggets now own the NBA’s best home record with a record of 40-7, including 6-0 in the postseason.
After the Nuggets suffered two losses in Phoenix, coach Michael Malone came up with a five-point strategy to help his team take back the series: patch up their transition defence, slow down Booker, get more help from his bench, unleash MPJ, and make open threes.
Check again, then again, then again.
Porter recovered from a lacklustre performance in Game 4 by scoring 19 points on 5-of-8 long-range shooting. Denver outscored Phoenix 31–23 in points scored on fast breaks; Booker scored 28 points but missed 11–of–his–nine attempts; Bruce Brown bolstered the Nuggets’ bench with 25 points; and the Nuggets made 13–of–their–27 long-range attempts.
Denver had 19 more points from Jamal Murray, while Phoenix received 26 points from Kevin Durant despite his unusual five turnovers.
With a dominant third quarter in which Jokic made seven of eight shots for 17 points and Booker went just 1-for-8 for three points, the Nuggets increased their advantage from three points at halftime to 91-74.
In the last minute of the third quarter, when the Suns crowded together on the floor, Nuggets swingman Brown antagonised them, and Durant gave Jokic a forearm shiver, the series’ acrimony reached a new level. Durant and Brown received a double technical.
When asked why he and Brown were snooping on the Suns, Jokic replied, “Just to see what they were drawing up.”
Durant announced the argument There was “absolutely nothing,” nothing significant. They were animated and pumped up, and we were attempting to sketch some ideas. Therefore, it was nothing.
So, the next time they play, there’s no need for a hug and a handshake.
48 hours after their altercation over a loose ball in Game 4 of the series in Phoenix, which resulted in a technical foul and a $25,000 fine for the Nuggets big man, Jokic enjoyed a friendly pregame embrace with Ishbia before the game. They also shared the basketball.
Jokic said, “I was hoping he was going to pay my fine,” following the game.
Malone opined, “I think he’s just making fun of a situation that was way overblown.” ”The NBA handled it correctly, and I give their owner, Mat Ishbia, a lot of credit when he came out following the game and said, ‘Listen, I don’t want anyone to be banned. Let the athletes determine this on the pitch. So, congratulations to him.
However, I believe it just reflects Nikola’s character and his tendency to be a clever (aleck).
The NBA posted stickers on the first few rows of seats, including Ishbia’s, to warn fans of its fan code of conduct rules and to inform them that infractions might result in ejection and cancellation of tickets.
TIP-INS
Suns: Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker, who is mockingly referred to in most of Colorado as “Midnight Mel” for leaving the Buffaloes position only hours after promising backers he planned to stay in Boulder, was seated courtside next to Ishbia.
Nuggets: This was the first game in the series when the team in the lead after the first quarter managed to hold on and win. Sean Payton, the new head coach of the Denver Broncos, QB Russell Wilson, and John Calipari, who tutored Booker, were among the notables there.Murray at Kentucky, also