Before starting a three-game homestand on Wednesday, the Denver Nuggets made a quick stop in Arizona for a matchup against the Phoenix Suns. It turned out to be a successful trip, as Denver fought back from an 11-point deficit to edge out a 125-123 win.
Even with the victory, it wasn’t the most convincing performance for a team viewed as a serious title contender. The Nuggets were nearly at full strength, missing only Peyton Watson, while the Suns were heavily depleted. Phoenix was without several key players, including Ryan Dunn, Dillon Brooks, Haywood Highsmith, Amir Coffey, Isaiah Livers, and Mark Williams.
Despite those absences, the Suns still put up a strong fight. Devin Booker and Jalen Green led the way, combining for 43 points and 14 assists. Off the bench, Grayson Allen provided a big boost with 21 points in just 23 minutes, going 8-19 from the field.
In the end, though, their valiant efforts weren’t enough to take down Denver. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray once again led the charge for the Nuggets. Jokic delivered another triple-double with 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 17 assists, while Murray added 21 points and six assists. Denver also got solid contributions from Tim Hardaway Jr., Cameron Johnson, and Aaron Gordon, who combined for 48 points on an efficient 50% shooting.
Denver Nuggets playoffs picture: Updated Standings
Tuesday’s win over the Phoenix Suns pushed the Denver Nuggets to a 45-28 record, keeping them in fourth place in the Western Conference. The victory gives them much-needed breathing room, putting them half a game ahead of the #5 Minnesota Timberwolves. They are also within striking distance of moving up in the standings, sitting just 1.5 games behind the #3 LA Lakers.
Denver Nuggets playoffs picture: Remaining Schedule
The Denver Nuggets have the 14th toughest remaining schedule in the league and the 7th toughest in the Western Conference. Their upcoming opponents have an average win percentage of .500, so it is a fairly balanced run to close the season.
Over the final three weeks, Denver will face two teams with better records than its own multiple times. They play the OKC Thunder twice and the San Antonio Spurs once. The rest of the schedule includes matchups against the Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz (twice), Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, and Memphis Grizzlies.
On paper, there is a clear path for the Nuggets to finish strong. If they take care of business against teams with weaker records and drop the three games against the stronger teams, they would end the season at 51-31. That would be a slight improvement over last season’s 50-32 finish, when they secured the fourth seed in the playoffs.
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