PHOENIX – Ish Smith looked up at Kevin Durant, not in awe of the size or talent discrepancy between the two, but eager to get on with the competition.
Down all five starters due to various ailments, the Nuggets embodied Smith’s competitive ethos. In a game that didn’t mean much after the Nuggets sealed the No. 1 seed by virtue of another team’s loss, it meant a lot to those that played.
And it wasn’t until late in the fourth quarter, when Durant and Chris Paul buried consecutive 3-pointers to seize momentum, that it finally felt like Phoenix, at full strength, had asserted itself. The Suns went on to win, 119-115, dropping Denver to 52-28 on the season with only two games left in the regular season.
“I’m happy,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “(But) I’m almost a little (ticked) off. I thought we should have won.”
Denver’s reserves (and on this night, starters) had made an impression. Bruce Brown bulldozed for 31 points, and Reggie Jackson added 20.
While Nikola Jokic (calf), Jamal Murray (thumb), Michael Porter Jr. (heel), Aaron Gordon (shoulder) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (sick) all sat, the Nuggets, collectively, fought. The 66-32 advantage in points in the paint suggested a team unwilling to concede without its regulars.
If it wasn’t for Paul’s outlandish 3-point shooting (7-of-12), perhaps the Nuggets might’ve pulled the upset. Durant, despite outstanding defense from Denver’s rookies Christian Braun and Peyton Watson, finished with 29 points on six 3s.
“Playing hard is a skill,” Malone said, and he lauded his guys’ effort.
What made Thursday’s contest so compelling, after you allowed for the absence of Denver’s regulars, was that the remaining guys had zero margin for error defensively. If they relented, Durant and the Suns had the firepower to run away with it. Yet that didn’t happen.
In the third quarter, the Nuggets exposed even more porous driving lanes and thin interior defense. Brown attacked with intensity, and Braun, when he wasn’t knocking down 3s, ran the floor hard. Even DeAndre Jordan, who started as well, was impactful. Doing his best Jokic impression, Jordan registered a double-double through just three quarters. By the end of the third quarter, when the Nuggets trailed by just three, Denver had already logged 54 points in the paint compared to Phoenix’s 24.
When the Nuggets officially clinched the No. 1 seed on Wednesday night, Malone said there wasn’t any type of celebration.
“It was great that New Orleans was able to beat Memphis last night in a crazy game, but I think my wife said it best. She sent me a text, she goes, ‘Congratulations, you guys are one. It would’ve been a lot better if you guys got it with the win.’ … She’s my ex-wife now. I said, ‘I appreciate the text.’ What a back-handed compliment.”
Though there wasn’t even a muted celebration, the accolade informed how Denver approached Thursday night. Most of the injured starters watched from the bench and engaged during timeouts with those that did play.
After getting pounded on the glass against Houston on Tuesday night, Malone implored his guys to crash and seal defensive possessions.
What he got in the first half was an inspired effort, exclusively from Denver’s reserves. Phoenix, at full strength, held a slim 56-55 lead going into the break.
Three Nuggets (Jackson, Green and Brown) registered double-digit scoring efforts in the first half, compared to just one Sun: Durant.
Denver’s reserves penetrated and attacked the paint, pouring in 36 points inside in the first half. Brown and Jackson were particularly adept at breaking down Phoenix’s defense and relied heavily on their floaters. Green buried a couple 3-pointers to keep the Suns honest.
Watson and Braun both earned the start, and then justified that decision with their defense on Durant. Even when the future Hall-of-Famer drained one, neither rookie was far off the scent.
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