The Denver Nuggets can no longer afford to lose. If they don’t want to get swept, they will have to lay it out all on the line this Sunday against the Phoenix Suns. What’s it going to be for Nikola Jokic and company? Check out our preview of this game below.
Nikola Jokic is not the type of guy who’d put his teammates on blast in or out of the public’s view, but he may want to break out of character if he wants the Nuggets to stay alive longer in the playoffs. Jokic has been doing much of the heavy lifting in the series against Phoenix, as he should as he’s the team’s best player. But he can’t do it all by himself. Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. are wildly inconsistent. Gordon, in particular, has sort of disappeared in the second round, as he is averaging just 9.3 points on 41.9 percent shooting from the field against Phoenix. POrter is making just 13.7 points on 35.9 percent shooting. It’s now or never for the Nuggets, and if there’s a game they’d win, this is definitely it.
The Nuggets are 5-1 against the spread in their last six games after a double-digit loss at home.
The Suns are going in for the kill and sweep in Game 4 after scoring a dominant 116-102 road win in Game 3. Unlike Jokic, Chris Paul is getting a ton of support from his teammates. Paul discord 27 points and fished out eight assists in Game 3, while Devin Booker dropped 28 points on 11-of-23 shooting from the field. But it’s not just the offense that’s been clicking for Phoenix. The Suns’ defense has been also on point. In fact, the Suns are limiting Denver to only 42.6 percent shooting from the field and 33.9 percent shooting from behind the arc. With more pressure in Game 4, the Nuggets could find it harder to get their rhythm on offense, which should be a big plus for the Suns.
The Suns are 6-0 against the spread in their last six games, dating back to the first round.
