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The Phoenix Suns, led by Kevin Durant, faced the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets, on the road to bounce back from the narrow defeat against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday with a 104-97 win over the Nuggets on Wednesday.
Phoenix maintained control throughout most of the evening, establishing their dominance from the game's outset. This triumph signalled their inaugural win of the season in contests where starting center Jusuf Nurkic was absent, snapping their former 0-4 record in similar matchups.
Driving the Suns' triumph across all four quarters was their outstanding display from long range. Phoenix benefited from a diverse group of players stepping up, with Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen, Devin Booker, Bol Bol and Eric Gordon each connecting on a minimum of two 3-point shots.
Collectively, Phoenix converted 16 out of 33 attempts from beyond the arc, whereas the Nuggets struggled, managing only a 10-40 performance from long range.
The Suns capitalized on multiple 10-0 runs during the third quarter, fortifying their double-digit lead as they entered the final 12 minutes of the game.
The Suns' bench made substantial contributions, notably from Thaddeus Young, who saw considerable playing time in a Suns uniform for the first time. Young secured nine rebounds and added six points on 3-of-4 shooting, contributing to a +15 advantage for Phoenix during his time on the court.
Young's performance played a pivotal role in the Suns' dominance on the boards, as they outrebounded the Nuggets 51-38. It's noteworthy that Denver didn't have any players finish with over 10 rebounds, including Nikola Jokic, who had secured double-digit rebounds in 14 of his last 16 games.
Kevin Durant points tonight vs Denver Nuggets
Leading the scoring charge was Kevin Durant, who amassed 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, notching his first double-double since March 9. He also dished three assists, including a season-high five blocks and a clutch charge drawn on Aaron Gordon's drive.
Kevin Durant shot 12 of 20 from the field at 60.0%, including an efficient 3-point shooting display, going 3-of-4 at 75.0% and perfect from the free-throw line with 3-of-3, boasting a +11 net rating, despite eight turnovers.
His player prop coming into the matchup was set at over/under 25.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 3-pointers. He crossed his over for points, rebounds and 3-pointers, falling slightly short of the assist mark, however.
Guess the Lakers players!
