Andrew Buller-Russ
Despite Nikola Jokic’s best effort, even the two-time NBA MVP scoring 53 points wasn’t enough to stifle the scoring outburst by Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and the rest of the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.
Heading into Game 4, with the Nuggets holding a 2-1 series lead, the Suns had home-court advantage, and we even saw the fans play a small factor in the second quarter when Jokic received a technical foul after shoving Suns owner Mat Ishbia.
But the rest of the battles played out on the hardwood, where both Booker and Durant were on fire, seemingly from start to finish.
Both players had exactly 36 points apiece to combine for 72 of the team’s 129 points in the five-point victory over the Nuggets. They combined for a total of 55% of the Suns’ points on the night.
Somehow Booker would only miss four shots, going 14-of-18, while drilling 3-of-4 threes. He even dished 12 assists, but being that his scoring partner KD was just as excellent, the dimes came easily for Booker.
Durant connected on 11-of-19 shots from the field, including 2-of-4 shots from distance, while knocking in 12-of-13 shots from the charity stripe. While Booker had the assists, Durant cleaned the glass, hauling in 11 rebounds and dishing out six assists while coming away with two steals and a block.
Both players were phenomenal, but even their efforts might have been wasted had it not been for Landry Shamet starring off the bench with 19 points, thanks to going 5-of-8 from 3-point range. Suns coach Monty Williams had a hard time keeping him off the floor, as Shamet saw 30 minutes, the third-most on the team.
Now the series is tied at two wins apiece with the slate headed back to Denver for a pivotal Game 5. So far the home team has won every game, which should favor the Nuggets as two of the final three (if necessary) games are in Denver.
