In the Denver Nuggets’ first game after the trade deadline, two familiar faces made the difference in their 117-108 victory against the Phoenix Suns. While Jamal Murray dropped bucket after bucket, Paul Millsap returned to provide a steady blend of offense and defense off the bench. The win secured a season sweep for Denver against Phoenix.
“When you can defend like we did tonight and your defense travels with the depth that we have, I think we’re going to be a really tough team to beat,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. “There’s a belief there and it (winning on the road) is something we know we have to do to be a great team and get a good seed for the playoffs.”
Both teams scored early and often to begin the game. There were six 3-pointers knocked down between the two teams in the first five minutes as the game was tied at 17. Phoenix was able to use a 6-0 scoring run to take control midway through the first quarter, which resulted in a 37-28 lead after 12 minutes of play. The Suns used the 3-pointer to fuel a lot of their offense as they knocked down five threes in the quarter. Murray continued his impressive play with 15 points in the frame.