Initial thoughts from the Nuggets’ 118-102 win over the Phoenix Suns in the second round of their Western Conference playoff series:
1. Aaron Gordon, Nuggs defense kept Devin Booker in check. Is Booker the next Kobe Bryant? The next Michael Jordan? Not yet. Aaron Gordon and the Denver wings proved that the Suns sharpshooter has a mode in him other than “On Fire,” holding the Phoenix star to 11 misses on 19 shots, two turnovers and a negative-19 plus-minus rating in 41 minutes. In what felt like a re-run of Games 1 and 2, Kevin Durant and Booker combined for more turnovers (seven) in Game 5 than 3-point makes (four).
2. Welcome back to the party, Bruce Brown. After a vanishing act in Game 4 in Phoenix (five points in 22 minutes), the Nuggets’ biggest pest was back in rare form again Tuesday. The do-everything swing man had put up 23 points with 3:41 left in a blowout victory, just three shy of his all-time high in a postseason game (26). He was feeling it on the irritant front as well, crashing the Suns huddle at one point in the second half to needle the visitors, starting a mini-brouhaha that led to a technical on Kevin Durant.
3. Shooters step up. Denver coach Michael Malone challenged his non-Murray shooters to make a difference after an up-and-down Games 3 and 4 — and they delivered. Michael Porter Jr. came out firing, posting a 14-point first quarter. MPJ, KCP and Brown with 3 minutes left in the game were a combined 8 for 15 from beyond the arc. The Nuggets were 13 of 26 on treys going into the final 180 seconds while Phoenix was just 9 for 24 (37.5%).
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