Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns celebrates with Kevin Durant #35 after a three-point shot towards the Denver Nuggets throughout the first half of Sport Three of the NBA Western Convention Semifinals at Footprint Middle on Might 05, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. Christian Petersen/Getty Photographs/AFP
Devin Booker matched his profession playoff excessive of 47 factors and Kevin Durant added 39 because the Phoenix Suns captured a pivotal 121-114 residence win over the Denver Nuggets in Sport 3 of their sequence on Friday night time.
Booker made 20 of 25 field-goal makes an attempt and added 9 rebounds, six rebounds and three steals because the fourth-seeded Suns lower their deficit to 2-1 within the Western Convention semifinals.
Durant added 9 rebounds and eight assists to go together with a shaky 12-of-31 taking pictures efficiency for Phoenix.
DEVIN BOOKER GOES FOR 47 🔥#PLAYOFFMODE MASTERPIECE
20-25 FG
9 AST
3 STL@Suns W
DEN/PHX Sport 4: Solar, 8 PM ET | TNT pic.twitter.com/u4rfw686Hu
— NBA (@NBA) Might 6, 2023
Jamal Murray had 32 factors, six rebounds and 5 assists and Nikola Jokic recorded 30 factors and 17 rebounds whereas setting a playoff career-best with 17 assists for top-seeded Denver. Michael Porter Jr. made six 3-pointers whereas contributing 21 factors and 12 rebounds for the Nuggets.
Sport 4 within the best-of-seven sequence is Sunday night time at Phoenix.
The Suns performed with out Chris Paul (groin), who additionally may miss Sport 4.
Phoenix shot 50.5 p.c from the sphere, together with 9 of 28 (32.1 p.c) from 3-point vary. Booker hit on 5 of 8 3-pointers.
Kevin Durant strikes to seventh all-time in Playoff scoring, helps lead the @Suns to a HUGE Sport 3 win!
39 PTS | 9 REB | 8 AST | 2 BLK
📅 DEN/PHX Sport 4: Solar, 8pm/et on TNT pic.twitter.com/FWHFw2NIZo
— NBA (@NBA) Might 6, 2023
The Nuggets related on 44.3 p.c of their pictures and had been 10 of 30 (33.3 p.c) from behind the arc. Denver’s Bruce Brown scored 11 factors.
Denver, which trailed by 11 factors early within the fourth quarter, crept inside 5 on Jokic’s tip-in with 8.6 seconds left. Booker made two free throws — his solely makes an attempt of the sport — to wrap it up with 6.6 seconds remaining.
The Nuggets trailed 67-52 at halftime earlier than opening the third quarter with a 27-11 burst. Murray scored back-to-back baskets to cap the surge and provides Denver a 79-78 edge with 5:03 remaining.
Durant answered with a trey to place Phoenix again forward. The Nuggets had been later up by three earlier than the Suns rattled off the subsequent 14 factors — the ultimate 5 of the third quarter and the primary 9 of the fourth — to take a 99-88 benefit with 9:43 remaining within the contest.
Denver missed 13 of its first 14 field-goal makes an attempt within the closing stanza till Jokic’s layup with 5:59 left lower the Suns’ result in 103-96.
A 3-point play by Jokic pulled Denver inside 109-104 with 3:04 remaining. The Nuggets once more had been inside 5 after a three-point play by Porter with 2:05 left earlier than T.J. Warren bought a positive bounce on a jumper and Booker drove for a layup to make it 116-107 with 1:05 to go.
Booker scored 27 first-half factors and Durant added 21 because the Suns held the 15-point lead on the break. Booker scored 18 factors within the opening interval and Durant tallied 18 within the second.
Murray had 17 first-half factors for Denver.
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