He has taken over the role of the #2 option behind Jokic since the injury to Jamal Murray. Combine that with Jamal Murray, who is done for the season with a torn ACL, that's two starters and one of the first guys off the bench that are unavailable in the Nuggets backcourt.Īustin Rivers was not on an NBA roster a couple of months ago, and now he's supposed to shut down Devin Booker? A rookie in Facundo Campazzo is supposed to outwit future Hall of Famer Chris Paul? What happens when the spark plug that is Cam Payne comes off the bench scoring in bunches? Guard play is the strength of the Suns, and the Nuggets don't have the depth or talent at the position to hang. The Nuggets, meanwhile, are hopeful to get Will Barton and PJ Dozier back in this series, but they will miss at least game one. If Ayton can parlay his level of play from the first round against the Lakers with what he's successfully done again Jokic in the past, that's a big win for the Suns.Ĭhris Paul is on the mend with his shoulder injury, and Monty Williams said he didn't miss a single part of practice over the last few days.
Shooting nearly 57% from the field this year, Ayton has held Jokic to 38% shooting in the three matchups. Jokic said himself that Ayton is the big man that has given him the most trouble this season, and the numbers show that. It's another tough test for DeAndre Ayton, and not only is his confidence sky-high right now, but he's had success defending Jokic in their prior meetings. But the Phoenix Suns are in a different stratosphere than Portland when it comes to defense. Jokic took his unbelievable season to the next level against the Portland Trail Blazers, averaging 33 points and 10.5 rebounds in the first round. Three things jump out to me in this series, so let's break it down that way. Now comes the possible league MVP in Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. The Suns slayed the dragon that was the defending champions and their arch-nemesis, the Los Angeles Lakers. So, can the Suns keep themselves in the playoffs, or will they fall to the Nuggets? Here are predictions from the ABC15 sports team.
PHOENIX - After taking down the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, the Phoenix Suns look to advance past the Denver Nuggets.
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