**ESPN:** [recap](https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/401585687) – [boxscore](https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401585687) – [gamecast](https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/401585687) | **NBA.com:** [boxscore](https://www.nba.com/game/0022301059) – [shotchart](https://www.nba.com/game/0022301059/game-charts)
||**Q1**|**Q2**|**Q3**|**Q4**|**Final**||
|:—|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|
**PHX**|**29**|**30**|**24**|**21**|**104**|[](/PHX)|
**DEN**|**29**|**23**|**21**|**24**|**97**|[](/DEN)|
**Team**|**FG**|**3PT**|**FT**|**OR**|**Reb**|**Ast**|**TO**|**Stl**|**Blk**|**PF**|**Pts**|
|:—|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|
[](/PHX)**PHX**|**39-83 (47.0)**|**16-33 (48.5)**|**10-11 (90.9)**|**12**|**51**|**29**|**16**|**3**|**7**|**13**|**104**|
[](/DEN)**DEN**|**38-88 (43.2)**|**10-40 (25.0)**|**11-12 (91.7)**|**9**|**38**|**24**|**8**|**9**|**4**|**13**|**97**|
**[](/DEN)DEN**|**Min**|**FG**|**3PT**|**FT**|**OR**|**Reb**|**Ast**|**TO**|**Stl**|**Blk**|**PF**|**Pts**|**+/-**|
|:—|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|
M. Porter Jr.^^SF|32:40|7-16 (43.8)|2-7 (28.6)|2-2 (100.0)|1|8|0|2|2|0|0|18|+4|
A. Gordon^^PF|36:18|7-14 (50.0)|1-3 (33.3)|3-3 (100.0)|2|6|2|2|0|0|2|18|+6|
N. Jokic^^C|41:32|9-16 (56.3)|1-5 (20.0)|3-3 (100.0)|0|9|10|1|2|1|2|22|+2|
K. Caldwell-Pope^^SG|36:07|5-9 (55.6)|3-6 (50.0)|0-0 (0.0)|2|6|6|2|2|1|4|13|+11|
R. Jackson^^PG|29:26|5-14 (35.7)|1-7 (14.3)|0-0 (0.0)|1|1|3|1|1|0|2|11|-11|
P. Watson|19:12|2-4 (50.0)|0-1 (0.0)|1-2 (50.0)|2|4|0|0|0|1|2|5|-16|
C. Gillespie|16:26|2-7 (28.6)|2-6 (33.3)|2-2 (100.0)|0|1|3|0|1|0|1|8|+6|
C. Braun|14:41|0-3 (0.0)|0-1 (0.0)|0-0 (0.0)|1|3|0|0|0|1|0|0|-19|
J. Holiday|9:58|0-2 (0.0)|0-2 (0.0)|0-0 (0.0)|0|0|0|0|1|0|0|0|-10|
J. Strawther|3:40|1-3 (33.3)|0-2 (0.0)|0-0 (0.0)|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|2|-8|
**Totals**||**38-88 (43.2)**|**10-40 (25.0)**|**11-12 (91.7)**|**9**|**38**|**24**|**8**|**9**|**4**|**13**|**97**||
**DNP:** ***Jay Huff***, ***DeAndre Jordan***, ***Braxton Key***, ***Jalen Pickett***, ***Hunter Tyson***
**Inactive:** ***Vlatko Cancar***, ***Jamal Murray***, ***Zeke Nnaji***
**[](/PHX)PHX**|**Min**|**FG**|**3PT**|**FT**|**OR**|**Reb**|**Ast**|**TO**|**Stl**|**Blk**|**PF**|**Pts**|**+/-**|
|:—|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|
G. Allen^^SF|32:40|5-10 (50.0)|3-7 (42.9)|0-0 (0.0)|0|3|4|1|1|0|2|13|-4|
K. Durant^^PF|38:14|12-20 (60.0)|3-4 (75.0)|3-3 (100.0)|2|13|3|8|0|5|1|30|+11|
D. Eubanks^^C|27:06|2-3 (66.7)|0-0 (0.0)|1-1 (100.0)|1|4|1|0|0|0|1|5|-11|
B. Beal^^SG|36:48|3-11 (27.3)|3-7 (42.9)|1-2 (50.0)|1|4|7|4|1|1|1|10|+9|
D. Booker^^PG|37:18|5-17 (29.4)|2-6 (33.3)|5-5 (100.0)|0|5|9|2|0|0|2|17|-3|
E. Gordon|20:13|4-9 (44.4)|2-5 (40.0)|0-0 (0.0)|0|1|0|0|0|1|0|10|+13|
T. Young|17:51|3-4 (75.0)|0-0 (0.0)|0-0 (0.0)|4|9|2|0|1|0|1|6|+15|
R. O’Neale|17:48|2-4 (50.0)|1-2 (50.0)|0-0 (0.0)|2|7|2|1|0|0|4|5|+3|
B. Bol|12:02|3-5 (60.0)|2-2 (100.0)|0-0 (0.0)|2|5|1|0|0|0|1|8|+2|
**Totals**||**39-83 (47.0)**|**16-33 (48.5)**|**10-11 (90.9)**|**12**|**51**|**29**|**16**|**3**|**7**|**13**|**104**||
**DNP:** ***Udoka Azubuike***, ***Nassir Little***, ***Jusuf Nurkic***, ***Josh Okogie***, ***David Roddy***, ***Isaiah Thomas***
**Inactive:** ***Damion Lee***, ***Saben Lee***, ***Ish Wainright***
||**PITP**|**2^^nd PTS**|**FB PTS**|**BIG LD**|**BEN PTS**|**TOT TOV**|**TOV PTS**||
|:—|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|
**PHX**|34|15|7|15|29|17|7|[](/PHX)|
**DEN**|46|11|5|2|15|8|18|[](/DEN)|
**Lead Changes: 2** | **Times Tied: 7** | **Gametime: 2:19** | **Attendance: 19827**
*Officials: James Capers, Brent Barnaky, Justin Van Duyne*
by BigHoneyBot
44 Comments
Denver only has 3 legit games left to get ready for playoffs.
Minny Friday, clips, and then have minny when both teams on a b2b
So hopefully Jamal ready Friday. Need to click.
Media makes it sound like he is
Most frustrating thing to me was they seemed to not learn anything from their last L (also at home) vs the suns
Why the fuck was AG still tryna go at O’Neale and KD 1v1 how does none of his teammates just tell him to stop doing that shit didn’t work at all last game and what a fucking surprise same result in this game too
MPJ and KCP completely falling asleep on crucial rotations leading to open 3s that they took advantage of
Jokic inexplicably being disinterested and passive for most of the game until it was too late – also worked on the glass a couple times similar to what Nurkic and Eubanks did last game
Bench being significantly outplayed and causing the deficit to balloon in the 2nd and 4th quarters
What an odd game from the Nuggets tonight. Just played like the complete opposite of their usual selves. The important thing is Jamal got rest and we still own first.
https://preview.redd.it/nyjngnbm80rc1.png?width=1001&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f2957a62fdf5fdd664b0016c538c300cc68c97e
This 1 is on Malone
Felt like a scheduled L with Jamal still on the bench. They generally played well and KD went nuclear
Losing to the Suns is like fifteen 9/11s
Frustrating game for the team I think. The Suns plan was to send doubles to Jok, and then immediately rotate to MPJ when Jok passed out, forcing anyone else to shoot. Jokic did the right thing, just didn’t knock them down tonight.
Wouldn’t be too worried about that gameplan in the playoffs if Nurk is back (he’s a lot slower than Eubanks) but it worked today. Effort was an issue too, let them get a lot of second chance points.
That bench rotation in the second quarter was BAD. Don’t think it was a good idea to run a group that probably has sub 50 mins together on the year against two Suns starters. Never really got the game back under control after that, just how it goes sometimes. Hopefully the Minny game is a banger, go Nuggs!
Kinda wish GTD guys rested for the Minnesota game. This one was super ugly.
I challenge any homer on this.
Bench is a major major major concern. No shooters, no shot creators, defense comes from two rookies basically. I know Nuggets were on a championship high but how did this happen?
This might be the most disappointed I’ve been all season. Very high stakes game. Played a mid at best team, the coaching was bad, Jokic was garbage, the bench and everyone else pretty awful too.
The stats say that this team is better than last year’s but I’ll be honest, I don’t think last year’s team would allow this loss to happen.
Highlight of attending the game tonight was arguing with another Nuggets fan who was demanding we take Jokic out of the game in 2nd quarter. We’re officially bored everyone lol. Give me playoffs please
Malone had some super late timeouts too
Feels like Jokic doesn’t want to cement his MVP. Bro was being guarded by Eubanks and Thad Young, like bro takeover the game. The sequences where he kept passing it back to Gillespie for him to brick a 3 were infuriating man.
This was fugly.
Surprised it was even remotely close. Looked like a totally different team.
Next.
Very real possibility that Booth got all 3 drft picks wrong
Jokic was still +2 somehow, lmao
If you’re gonna attempt 40 three pointers in a game, you better hit more than 10 of them or you’re fucked. That’s 30 wasted shots. *Thirty*. If even half of those had been 2 point attempts instead on 43% shooting from the field that’s 12 more points.
If Jokic gonna play 41 then Porter should play more then 32?
If not have them both play 30
Just seems so little thought put into the rotation at times.
It’s so obvious Braun should be the 1st sub
[deleted]
I have contracted Malonavirus.
Shoot 40 threes
Make 10
Lose
Que sera sera, whatever will be will be
I’m bout to watch Vinland saga or berserk or something cause that’s the mood I’m in now
Glad Jokic got to practice some new passes today.
Hopefully he found new angles and schemes for the playoffs.
Did Malone offer an explanation for that disaster of a lineup he threw out there during the 2nd quarter? Something like, “I lost my clipboard,” or “Miscommunication with the scorer’s table.”
Doomers out in full force tonight haven’t you guys learned anything from last year.
2 most annoying losses of the season both against Phoenix at home S’ing my f’ing H
Aaron “Allen Iverson” Gordon isolation possessions annoy me
Reggie has got to go. He’s in his own little world
I love jokic but I’m not going to sit up and lie and say I haven’t found myself disappointed in him more than ever this season. He’s let the refs and physicality affect him the most ever in his career. He clearly feel he’s an NBA champion and deserved the calls this season and I agree but it’s thrown him off his game. It’s also been a good amount of nights against playoff teams in the west where he’s just like whatever, I’ll wait until the playoffs
Nuggs still in first and prioritizing health. Yes this game was annoying but there is zero reason to be bothered by tonight.
I’m just gonna say that Nuggets playoff basketball is a whole different beast. Minnesota knows this. Suns knows this. Lakers definitely knows this. People forget how bad our bench was last year too until the playoff roster got tighter and bench unit had our elite playmakers on the floor for 99% of the games.
We are still in the 1 seed. Jamal was able to get extra rest. Jokic was trying to play make for his guys and the shots just didn’t fall through. One of those games. We move on to Minny where the stakes are higher.
I bet these trash Sons lose to the Thunder next game.
Ya boi played the under on Brad Beal getting 15.5 points 😎😎
what pissed me off the most was the fact that I know that we are much better than them yet we played a passive game and let the Suns control it from start to finish
We lost by 7 points with them going 50 percent from 3, and us going 10-40. Thats 30, THIRTY possessions where we came up empty handed. Jokic and everyone else played right into their hands instead of being aggressive, kicked out continuously all game. Sucks but its how it goes
Man we sucked. We most likely play them first rnd and I can see the suns sending us to Cancun.
Gillespie looks like a dwarf on the court
missing Brucey B big time 🙁
[removed]
A team missing their starting center and yet instead of attacking the paint we turn into the Celtics and jack up 40 threes.
I’m not going to take much away from this game but Jesus dude. Stop shooting the fucking 3 when it just isn’t falling like tonight.
I would rather play any team other than the Suns round 1
If you have a lot of young players like Watson, Porter, Braun, Zeke etc the worst thing you can do is take someone like Reggie as a back up pg. He does very little to make others better. His style of play is the total antithesis of Denver’s style of play. I think that Jokic cooperated better even with Faku and Barton if we talk about some fundamental things like pick, pop, etc. Watson, Braun and the rest of the younger players need a creative playmaker. Reggie is the worst possible fit for the development of young players. Keeping Jordan (who is a great character though) and Reggie is not good.
HCA getting shaky
Well shoot
I think we all pretty much knew we lost tonight when we came out of a timeout and had Gordon shoot a 3 with 15 seconds left on the shot clock.