PHOENIX (AP) – Chris Paul made a career-high seven three-pointers and the Phoenix Suns won their season-best seventh game in a row, holding off the short-handed Denver Nuggets 119-115 yesterday.
Kevin Durant added six 3s and led the Suns with 29 points in 40 minutes, while Paul scored 25. Durant also had seven rebounds as the Suns improved to 8-0 with the 13-time All-Star in their line-up. But it wasn’t easy even though the Nuggets were missing all five normal starters.
Devin Booker made just three of 12 shots, but still scored 15 as he was eight for eight from the free throw line. Booker also had eight assists, while Deandre Ayton scored 16 points and reserve Torrey Craig had 11 for the Suns (45-35), who made 17 three-pointers to eight for Denver.
Paul’s final three-pointer of the night with 3:07 to play made it 114-107, the biggest lead of the night for either team at that point.
Paul made seven of 12 from behind the arc.
Durant said, “We just need CP to read the game like he has since college, high school. Whatever the game tells him to do, he’s going to go out there and do it.”
As for playing 40 minutes, Durant was glad to get that opportunity. Bruce Brown led Denver (52-28) with 31 points on 11-of-18 shooting. Reggie Jackson had 20 points and six assists, Christian Braun had 15 points, Jeff Green scored 14 and DeAndre Jordan had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Nikola Jokic had missed three games with a calf injury before returning to play 25 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to Houston. He was sidelined again yesterday, as were Aaron Gordon (right shoulder), Michael Porter Jr (left heel), Jamal Murray (right thumb) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (illness).
Nuggets coach Michael Malone was pleased that his team gave the full-strength Suns a game all the way.
The Nuggets clinched the number one seed in the West on Wednesday when Memphis lost to New Orleans.
They’re also dealing with enough injuries that the entire starting five was out yesterday.
Two-time MVP Jokic is averaging 24.8 points, 11.9 rebounds and 9.8 assists.
The Suns also are locked in to the number four seed, but with Durant having so few games with his new Suns teammates, Williams is trying to strike a balance with what’s best for everyone entering the postseason.
“I think we have to try to use these games to get guys to a place that we think is comfortable for them,” Williams said.
