#NUGGETS SUNS HEAD TO HEAD SERIES#

The Suns might try to put Paul on Caldwell-Pope, but Denver’s lengthy starting lineup makes practically every matchup a mismatch for Paul. Murray averaged 25.3 points, 6.8 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game in the first four games of the opening round as the clear-cut No. Paul surely will utilize some veteran savvy in trying to keep up with the bigger and faster Murray, who at 6-foot-4 is the shortest player in Denver’s starting lineup. experience at the point: Phoenix point guard Chris Paul owns a whopping 147 games of postseason experience, while the 26-year-old Murray is set to play in his 39th career playoff game come Saturday. That could lead to fatigue down the stretch of games when Phoenix needs maximum effort from its stars. In nearly every Suns lineup, coach Monty Williams makes sure to leave at least two of the team’s starters on the floor. The Suns’ bench issues are one of the main reasons that Durant and Booker are currently No. After the first round, Denver’s bench has the playoffs’ second-best net rating (4.3), while Phoenix (-1.1) ranks ninth in that category.

#NUGGETS SUNS HEAD TO HEAD SERIES#

Which team is deeper?: LA exposed Phoenix’s lack of depth in Game 1 of that series and, despite losing the series, the Clippers’ bench ran circles around the Suns’ reserves in pretty much every game. So, Ayton must limit Jokic’s impact as a facilitator while also helping the Suns by attacking the basket and not settling for mid-range shots. Jokic is more equipped than Ayton to find open shooters for buckets. But don’t sleep on Denver sharpshooters Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Michael Porter Jr. Ayton now has more firepower to help on the perimeter in Durant, Booker and Chris Paul. Despite the losing effort, Jokic dominated Ayton throughout the series, outscoring his Suns counterpart 100-57 and winning the rebounding battle 53-42. The two-time MVP committed a Flagrant 2 foul in the second half of the decisive Game 4 that led to his ejection. The last time Jokic and Ayton met in the playoffs, Phoenix swept Denver in the 2021 West semifinals.

Shaq, Charles, Kenny and EJ preview the upcoming Suns-Nuggets series.īattle in the paint: The big men own seven victories apiece in head-to-head matchups, but Jokic would gladly take Deandre Ayton’s 4-0 record against the Nuggets in the postseason. So, expect copious buckets from a couple of teams that enter the second round relatively healthy. When the clubs clashed again for the last two matchups of the regular season over a span of seven days (March 31 to April 6), Jokic was out of the lineup due to a calf injury.īoth players serve as catalysts for two of the three highest-rated offenses left in the playoffs. Phoenix ousted the shorthanded LA Clippers just hours later in that series’ Game 5 as Devin Booker scored 25 points in the third quarter (and finished with a postseason career-high-tying 47 points) in a 136-130 victory.Īlthough the teams faced off four times in the regular season - each team won twice - Durant wasn’t yet a member of the Suns when Denver defeated them by a combined 32 points in the first two meetings prior to the All-Star break. When that happens, reigning two-time Kia MVP Nikola Jokic will lead the Denver Nuggets against a star-studded Phoenix squad headlined by 2014 MVP Kevin Durant and All-Star guard Devin Booker.īoth teams handled their business quickly in eliminating their first-round opponents in five games.ĭenver punched its ticket to the next round first on Tuesday, outlasting the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-109 in Game 5 behind a 28-point triple-double from Jokic and a game-high 35 points from Jamal Murray. Three of the most likely candidates to capture the Earvin “Magic” Johnson Trophy - the award given to the Western Conference finals MVP - hit the floor Saturday for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals at Ball Arena. Nikola Jokic and Deandre Ayton’s last playoff matchup was in the 2021 semifinals, a 4-0 sweep by the Suns.

Nuggets suns head to head