Suns Defeat Nuggets 104-97 Without Jusuf Nurkic

Bouncing back from their loss against the Spurs on Tuesday, the Suns secured a much-needed victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Phoenix led for the majority of the night, asserting dominance from the opening quarter. This win marked their first victory of the season in games without starting center Jusuf Nurkic, breaking their previous 0-4 record in such matchups.

Fueling the Suns’ success throughout all four quarters was their exceptional performance from beyond the arc. Phoenix saw contributions from a variety of players, with Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen, Devin Booker, Bol Bol, and Eric Gordon all sinking at least two three-pointers.

As a team, Phoenix went 16-33 from deep, while the Nuggets managed only a 10-40 performance.

Multiple 10-0 runs in the 3rd quarter helped the Suns maintain a double-digit lead entering the final 12 minutes.

Durant led the scoring charge with 30 points and also secured 13 rebounds, marking his first double-double since March 9th.

The Suns received significant contributions from their bench as well, particularly from Thaddeus Young, who saw substantial playing time in a Suns uniform for the first time. Young grabbed nine rebounds and scored six points on 3/4 shooting, contributing to a +15 advantage for Phoenix while he was on the court.

This effort from Young allowed the Suns to dominate the boards, outrebounding the Nuggets 51-38. Notably, Denver had no players finish with over 10 rebounds, including Nikola Jokic, who had grabbed double-digit rebounds in 14 of his last 16 games.

Next up for the Suns is another challenging matchup as they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday at 5pm. Phoenix has two games left in their current five-game road trip.