The Phoenix Suns are dominating the Denver Nuggets, as they’ve zoomed to a 2-0 series lead in this second-round playoff series. Will the Suns move a step closer to advancing to the next round? Or will the Nuggets cut the series deficit in half? Check out our preview of this game below.
Chris Paul and the Nuggets are steamrolling Denver in the series. After a 122-105 win in Game 1, Phoenix put up a better effort on both ends of the floor to defeat the Nuggets again in Game 2, 123-98. Paul had another double-double in the series, his second in a row, as he scored 17 points and dished out 15 assists with zero turnovers. That speaks a lot about how good Paul is and how bad Denver’s defense has been in the series. Over the first two games of this second-round matchup, the Suns are scoring an average of 122.5 points on 50.8 percent shooting from the field and 43.1 percent from deep. They have also done a great job defensively, especially in containing Denver’s outside shooters, as the Nuggets are making only 33.7 of their 3-point shots, so far in the series.
The Suns are 5-0 against the spread in their last five games overall. They are also 4-0 in their last four games after covering the spread in the game before. The total has hit the over in 10 of Phoenix’s last 12 games away from home.
It was just Nikola Jokic and no one else for the Nuggets in Game 2. The 2020-21 NBA MVP scored 24 points with 13 rebounds and six assists in the loss, but outside of Michael Porter Jr. who shot only 3 of 13 from the field for 11 points, no other Nuggets starter scored in double digits. It’s in games like that Denver severely misses the services of Jamal Murray, but there’s no way he’ll play at all in this series with him still recuperating from an ACL injury. The Nuggets should be demanding more from Porter, Aaron Gordon, and their bench. Gordon only had six points in Game 2, while Monte Morris, who’s supposed to be an asset for Denver’s second unit coughed up only three points on 1-of-7 shooting from the field. Hopefully for Denver, a home game will have them playing much better offensive and defensively.
The Nuggets are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games as a home favorite. They are also 4-1 against the spread in their last five games overall. The under is 7-3 in the Nuggets’ last 10 Friday games.
