There are times when a coach has to know how to put the brake on. that must have thought last night Michael Malone when at the beginning of the last quarter and with a 25-point lead on the scoreboard, he kept Jamal Murray and got injured.
Hoping that Murray’s injury, which comes from a blank season, is minor, the Nuggets sleep in the middle of the season, 41 games, with a 28-13 mark that gives them the shared lead in the West with the Grizzlies, who won 135-129 to the Spurs. It’s not bad at all.
Denver had a real ride to win 126-97 once morest harmless Suns because right now the roster is dismembered, with 7 rotation players out of the game (6 due to injury), of which 4 are starters. Undoubtedly, a very extreme scenario that has caused the logical competitive decline in the team he leads Monty Williamswhich has 1 victory in its last 8 games, precisely the one achieved 24 hours earlier in San Francisco once morest some Warriors that are going from bad to worse.
The party had little history. At halftime Denver was already dominating 70-54 with the duo formed by Bones Hyland y Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signing in the first part a 9 of 9 from the triple. And nothing was better for Phoenix, which at the end of the third quarter trailed 100-75, the score that reflected the light at the beginning of the fourth quarter when Murray was injured in what apparently, it was not very clear, might be an injury in the foot.
The Nuggets have become powerful at home until the end of winning their last 12 home games in a row, which has allowed them to add 14 victories in their last 17 games (joining home and away games).
The 126-97 clearly reflects the lack of competitiveness of the Suns, which among its casualties has its big three.
Nikola Jokic He shone once more on the field with 21 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists playing only 3 quarters, and with 10 of 15 shooting for the basket.
Young Bones Hyland had 21 points (5 of 7 from 3), Jamal Murray had 16 points and 6 assists, Caldwell-Pope added 15 points, the same as the substitute Nnaji and Denver had 7 players on 10 or more points, with the team shooting 56.5% from the field.
Phoenix, meanwhile, had Torrey Craig with 16 points -without failure in the dynamic shot-, already Josh Okogie with 14 goals, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, while Mikal Bridges He didn’t measure up this time, 24 hours following playing a great game once morest the Warriors.