Mile High Sports

Denver Nuggets dominate in win against Phoenix Suns on back-to-back

Ryan Blackburn

Dec 23, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) reacts in the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Denver Nuggets came into Ball Arena on the second night of a back-to-back and found a way to get a 117-90 blowout win over the Phoenix Suns.

Michael Malone shared postgame that he didn’t know how the team was going to look after a game last night, a tough travel day, and a quick turnaround at altitude. He was treated to an impressive performance across the board from Denver, perhaps their most impressive game of the entire season.

Nikola Jokic led the scoring with 32 points, dominating his matchups with Jusuf Nurkic and Mason Plumlee. The Suns had absolutely nothing for Jokic tonight, who shot 12-of-17 from the floor, 4-of-6 from three, and had seven assists compared to just one turnover in 30 minutes.

Jamal Murray missed this game with an ankle sprain that popped up on the injury report today. In his place, Michael Porter Jr. got the scoring started in the first quarter with 14 points in the first 10 minutes. He did it in a variety of ways, hitting jumpers in different spots around the floor and cutting to the rim for offensive rebounds and layups.

After a small dry spell in the second quarter, Porter got back to scoring, hitting a transition three, making himself available consistently, and playing with purpose. He looked like a man on a mission tonight and was tremendous on both ends of the floor, finishing with 24 points on 10-of-12 from the field with six rebounds, and four assists.

Those two were the key scorers for Denver, but everyone played a part, especially in the second half. Russell Westbrook started the game poorly but brought some good shotmaking and defensive playmaking to the second half. Aaron Gordon hit back-to-back three-pointers and slowed down Kevin Durant defensively in the third quarter. Christian Braun wasn’t at his best scoring but still had seven rebounds and four assists.

And then there was the bench, led by Jalen Pickett. With Westbrook stepping into the starting lineup, Pickett played with the second unit and looked great. He scored 11 points and had eight assists, and while the shooting percentage doesn’t look awesome, it doesn’t do him justice either. He made some big shots for Denver, including a turnaround three at the shot clock buzzer deep in the corner.

Overall, a very vibe-y Nuggets win, a blowout over a Suns team that hasn’t lost very often with Durant in the lineup.

Playing through the noise

I have to give a lot of credit to Michael Porter and how he bounced back tonight. Of course, loyal listeners and readers will know that I thought Porter would bounce back from a bad game because that’s what he’s done on back-to-backs the entire season. He stays ready, stays professional, and handles his business.

Postgame, I asked him about the trade rumors he’s been involved in. He joked with me a bit and said he watched a little bit of my podcast about it. You know, likely the one where I lobbied for the Zach LaVine trade…

And still, Porter answered the question after that. He understands why all of this is happening. He knows what the situation is, that the Nuggets can’t make any serious changes to the roster unless it’s him. There’s a lot of pressure in that.

And still, he answered the question. He gave an insightful answer at that, one with heartfelt meaning.

“I know it’s part of the business. I feel like there are a lot of great players in the NBA, and I’ve been blessed to be here seven years. The Nuggets took a chance on me. I’ve been blessed to win a championship here, and I’ve been blessed to make great relationships with the coaches and the players and to grow as a player.”

“I think for me, I’ve overcome so much in my life. I’ve gone through so much with my family. I’ve gone through so much personally that little stuff like a trade rumor, I leave that stuff up to God. I kind of have zero stress about it because I know wherever I end up, it will be meant to be. I love where I’m at, and I love playing with these dudes.”

It’s moments like these that shed true light on character. Porter had every opportunity to dismiss my question because I was the one who asked it. I wouldn’t have been offended either. That he answered and was willing to open up about it, I really genuinely respect that.

At the end of the day, it’s a business. For the Nuggets for a long time though, this was a family business, a mom and pop shop. You don’t trade family. Maybe the Nuggets turning things around a bit over the last couple weeks can prove they’re capable of winning at higher levels. Maybe they don’t need to make a move to try and “upgrade” on a core piece of their team.

I’m open to being wrong about it. Honestly, with how Mike continues to show who he is in the best possible way, I hope I’m wrong.

Final Rotations

 

 

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