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The Denver Nuggets got outplayed on both ends of the court against the Phoenix Suns to record a third straight loss in the Western Conference Semifinals. Chris Paul and co. got down to business in the first quarter itself and led for almost the entire game as they handed the hosts a 102-116 loss to go 3-0 up in the series.
The Denver Nuggets simply couldn't contain the Phoenix Suns starters, all of whom scored in double digits once more. Devin Booker had 28 points while Deandre Ayton recorded a double-double. Nikola Jokic fought a lone war with 32 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, but that wasn't enough.
Without further ado, let's look at five reasons why the Denver Nuggets lost Game 3 at home to the Phoenix Suns.
#1 Poor all-round shooting display from Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets were poor from the field throughout the game. They moved the ball well enough to create good looks but simply failed to capitalize on them. Monte Morris and Zeke Nnaji (who made his only shot attempt) were the only two Nuggets players who shot over 50% from the field today. Even Jokic went 13-of-29.
The Denver Nuggets shot merely 41.1% from the field and 34.2% from downtown. They were inefficient from the charity stripe as well, converting just 10 of their 16 free throw attempts. In comparison, the Phoenix Suns shot a 50-40-90 clip.
#2 Little help for Nikola Jokic yet again
The Denver Nuggets have largely been a one-man force in the Western Conference Semifinals so far. Nikola Jokic has been able to put up good numbers in each of the three games but hasn't received the needed help from his teammates.
Jokic scored 32 today while the rest of the starters combined managed only 29. Both Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon struggled again. Porter had 15 points on 38.5% shooting, while Gordon went 2-of-10 from the field.
Monte Morris stepped up again, as he has done all playoffs, to score 21 points off the bench again. Even Will Barton did a respectable job by scoring 14 points in 28 minutes. But these contributions aren't enough to beat the deeply loaded Phoenix Suns.
#3 Denver Nuggets don't capitalize on second chances
To their credit, the Denver Nuggets absolutely dominated the Phoenix Suns on the boards. Thanks to Nikola Jokic and Will Barton's hustle on the glass, the Nuggets had a whopping 18 offensive rebounds as compared to the Suns' four.
Despite the huge gap in these numbers, there wasn't enough of a difference between the two sides in the second-chance points category. The Denver Nuggets managed just 21 second-chance points while the Phoenix Suns had 14 of the same. This can once again be attributed to the Nuggets' poor shooting.
#4 Denver Nuggets allow Phoenix Suns to create separation in the third quarter again
Despite conceding a healthy deficit in the first quarter, the Denver Nuggets managed to claw their way back in the second and entered the break with the score reading 59-55 in the Phoenix Suns' favor.
Michael Malone's men were within touching distance, but as was the case in the past two games, they slipped up in the third quarter. The likes of Mikal Bridges, Chris Paul and Devin Booker all contributed baskets as the Suns went on an 11-3 run to start the second half.
It was a game of catch-up from there onwards for the Denver Nuggets, who weren't afforded a second opportunity to rally back by the Phoenix Suns. The Suns now have a +29 differential against the Nuggets in the third quarter through three games of this series.
#5 Using drop coverage against Chris Paul
Chris Paul racked up 27 points on 9-of-16 tonight, his highest tally yet in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. The Phoenix Suns' floor general also managed eight assists, six rebounds and three steals. While much of his performance had to do with him making the right reads, the way the Denver Nuggets defended Paul made things much easier for him.
Chris Paul uses screens to get rid of his primary defender and get a favorable switch all the time. But instead of switching, head coach Michael Malone thought it would be better to have the primary defender run in from behind after the initial screen while Jokic waited in drop coverage to prevent Deandre Ayton from running to the rim for lob opportunities.
This allowed CP3 too much space to either find a favorable pass or simply pull up from mid-range, the best shot in his arsenal. While Paul did miss several of these attempts in the first half, his motion steadied in the second and he dropped five baskets from in and around the elbow region.
It's safe to say that the Denver Nuggets need to be wary of how often they employ the drop coverage against the Phoenix Suns if they are to survive the next game.
