It is, with total security, the best series of the playoffs so far. And the beginning has not left anyone indifferent: the Nuggets beat the Suns in the first game of the NBA Western Conference semifinals. Until now, it is (without a doubt) the duel with the highest level, net and gross talent and proper names that there has been this course. And this has been demonstrated in the opening duel, which the Colorados won thanks to a fantastic choral game that was supported by, as always, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. And in the one where they dominated the rebound, they were more confident with the ball in their hands, distributed more assists, shot better than three and were, in short, more consistent. A few qualities that never go without saying if we take into account how difficult it is to predict a series that is thought to be long and hardbut in which the Nuggets have started much better than their rivals, who will now have to adjust too much to level up and not travel to Arizona like this with a 2-0 that is always very dangerous.
The keynote of the first period was equality: 31-32. And a superlative Kevin Durant, who then already had 15 points and 3 rebounds, but would only score 14 more in the next three quarters combined. he dried up the nuggets, that come from eliminating the Timberwolves in the first roundThey didn’t allow things to drag on and played very well in the second period even with the much-needed breaks for Jokic and Murray. Michael Porter Jr. was confident then and unleashed 7 of the 11 points with which he finished the game in a row. Aaron Gordon provided physicality, defensive capacity and offensive security (23+6 at the end, with 9 of 13 from the field and 3 of 4 from triples). And the push of the mayor together with the animosity that the fact of playing at home always gives you, the Nuggets escaped until 68-51 at halftime. First bite of the tie. Let’s hope it’s not the last. At the end of the day, the initial one has arrived and the game 1. There it is.
The Suns, yes, they never stopped being alive. They got to 11 during the third period (72-61), which ended at 13 (94-81). With 10 minutes to go, they were at 10 (100-90). But when there were 4 left, the Nuggets, who withstood the attacks like an impregnable fortress, had already escaped almost definitively (120-98 after a 20-8 run) and they finished the clash with the well-known 125-107. What was given is over. Durant’s final 29 points and 14 rebounds weren’t enough, and neither were Devin Booker’s 27, with 8 assists. DeAndre Ayton is once again an indolent production machine who throws little for his effectiveness (14+7 with 7 of 11 shots, all in 30 minutes) and Chris Paul had a discreet performance, with just 11 points and 5 passes to basket The rest was the usual with Monty Williams: short rotation in an already short templatea lot of individual play for Booker and Durant, little pick and roll with Ayton and a tremendous mess to see who place on track with their stars and when rest his stars. That’s where Torrey Craig, Jock Landale, Cameron Payne, Bismack Biyombo, the starter Josh Okogie, Landry Shamet passed… each with a handful of minutes, but a huge lack of hit units for lace, shot selection, support to their peers or specific role.
They do have a clear plan, you know, the Nuggets: it’s the same one they’ve had all season, one in which they suffer a lot without Jokic but today they had a breath of fresh air with the center in his time off. He has also gone to 19 points and 18 rebounds, including 8 offensive of 16 total for his team, constant torture for the Suns, who also lost 16 balls. Jamal Murray, for his part, took out the shotgun to reach 34 points (+5+9) in a series of 13 of 24 from the field and 6 of 10 from triples. Meanwhile, Bruce Brown led the bench with 14 points and helped on defense, especially against Booker. In short, some who have things clear and others who are not so clear, but who they have finished with the Clippers in the first round and they are full of talent. At the moment, the first ones are winning. But talent wins championships. And it should not be underestimated. Never.
|
32
Jeff Green |
|
6
DeAndre Jordan |
|
fifty
Aaron Gordon |
|
5
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope |
|
7
reggie jackson |
|
14
ish smith |
|
fifteen
Nikola Jokic |
|
27
Jamal Murray |
|
13
Thomas Bryant |
|
31
Vlatko Cancar |
|
1
Michael Porter Jr. |
|
eleven
Bruce Brown |
|
22
Zeke Nnaji |
|
0
Christian Braun |
|
8
peyton watson |
| Min | pts | RT | RO | DR | Ast | Per | rec | Tap | T1 | T2 | T3 | FR | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
32
Jeff Green | 17 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2/2 | 0/3 | 1/2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
|
6
DeAndre Jordan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
fifty
Aaron Gordon | 38 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2/2 | 6/9 | 3/4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
5
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | 28 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 3/8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
7
reggie jackson | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
14
ish smith | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
fifteen
Nikola Jokic | 32 | 24 | 19 | 8 | eleven | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5/5 | 8/19 | 1/2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
27
Jamal Murray | 36 | 3. 4 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2/2 | 7/14 | 6/10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
13
Thomas Bryant | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
31
Vlatko Cancar | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 0/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
1
Michael Porter Jr. | 30 | eleven | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0/0 | 4/5 | 1/4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
eleven
Bruce Brown | 24 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0/0 | 7/10 | 0/1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
22
Zeke Nnaji | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
0
Christian Braun | 13 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1/2 | 0/3 | 0/1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
8
peyton watson | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
8
terrence ross |
|
3
chris paul |
|
18
Bismack Biyombo |
|
twenty-one
T. J. Warren |
|
35
Kevin Durant |
|
fifteen
cameron payne |
|
1
Devin Booker |
|
10
Damion Lee |
|
0
Torrey Craig |
|
22
deandre ayton |
|
2
josh okogie |
|
14
Landry Shamet |
|
eleven
Jock Landale |
|
55
Darius Bazley |
|
12
Ish Wainright |
| Min | pts | RT | RO | DR | Ast | Per | rec | Tap | T1 | T2 | T3 | FR | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
8
terrence ross | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 0/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
3
chris paul | 32 | eleven | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 4/6 | 1/5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
18
Bismack Biyombo | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
twenty-one
T. J. Warren | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
35
Kevin Durant | 36 | 29 | 14 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4/4 | 11/16 | 1/3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
fifteen
cameron payne | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 1/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
1
Devin Booker | 40 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7/8 | 10/18 | 0/1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
10
Damion Lee | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
0
Torrey Craig | 23 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 1/2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
22
deandre ayton | 30 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0/1 | 7/11 | 0/0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
|
2
josh okogie | 18 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/2 | 0/1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
14
Landry Shamet | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
eleven
Jock Landale | 10 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3/4 | 2/4 | 0/1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
55
Darius Bazley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
12
Ish Wainright | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |