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The Phoenix Suns toyed with the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, eventually beating them 123-98 in Game 2 of the the Western Conference Semifinals. Chris Paul dictated proceedings once more and a complete team effort resulted in Monty Williams' men taking a 2-0 lead in the series.
Although none of the Phoenix Suns players scored 20 points, all five of their starters hit double digits for a second straight occasion. That was enough to hand the Denver Nuggets a 25-point loss, their biggest of the 2020-21 season.
Chris Paul orchestrates another statement win for the Phoenix Suns
As good as the players on the Phoenix Suns roster are, it's Chris Paul's leadership that really allows them to shine as a unit. CP3 was in his element today as well, setting up the likes of Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton with good looks. Paul himself took over in the fourth quarter as well to kill the game.
Paul finished with 17 points and 15 assists and had zero turnovers tonight. Booker also ended up with a double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Ayton struggled to defend Nikola Jokic in the first half once again, but stayed the course and eventually managed to hold his own. He had 15 points and 10 boards.
Here's how Twitter reacted to the Phoenix Suns' incredible win against the Denver Nuggets.
Nikola Jokic fights a lone battle for Denver Nuggets again
Nikola Jokic was left waging a war alone once again as he received little to no help from his teammates. Jokic finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. The other four Denver Nuggets starters combined for just 26 points.
Will Barton returned from his hamstring injury and scored an efficient 10 points in 15 minutes off the bench, but that did not impact the larger scheme of things. Michael Porter Jr. had a forgetful outing as he finished with 11 points on 3-of-13 shooting.
The Denver Nuggets simply failed to knock down their shots from downtown and the Phoenix Suns clamped the paint, making it tougher for the visitors to attempt high-percentage looks.
The series will now move to Colorado and the Denver Nuggets will be hoping to make some use of the altitude at home to bounce back in the series. They'll host the Phoenix Suns in Game 3 on Friday night.
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