Nuggets blow past Suns 125-100, advance to Conference Finals

PHOENIX(AP) — Nikola Jokic scored 32 points in another triple-double,Jamal Murray added 26 and the Denver Nuggets advanced to theWestern Conference finals for the first time since 2020 by beatingthe short-handed Phoenix Suns 125-100 in Game 6 on Thursdaynight.

Denver’sseries victory comes two seasons after the Nuggets were embarrassedin a second-round postseason sweep by the Suns. This time, it wasthe Suns getting blown out on their home floor to end the seasonfor the second straight year.

The Nuggetswill play in the conference finals for the first time since theylost to the Lakers in five games in the Florida bubble during theCOVID-19 pandemic. They have never reached the NBA Finals.

Thetop-seeded Nuggets used a 23-2 run during the latter part of thefirst quarter to take a 44-26 lead and never looked back.Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — averaging 9.5 points in the playoffs —scored 17 in the first quarter while Jokic added 14.

Caldwell-Pope finished with 21 points. Jokic shot 13 of 18 from thefield and added 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

Denver’soffensive onslaught continued in the second as the lead grew to81-51 by halftime, leading to boos from Suns fans as players madetheir way to the locker room. The second half was essentially anafterthought.

CameronPayne scored 31 points for Phoenix, hitting 7 of 9 3-pointers.Kevin Durant added 23.

The Sunswere playing without injured starters Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul.Ayton sustained a rib contusion in Tuesday’s Game 5 while Paul hasbeen out the past four games with a strained left groin.

Phoenix waseliminated in the Western Conference semifinals at home for asecond straight season despite a blockbuster trade deadline dealfor Durant, a 13-time All-Star and one of the game’s most prolificscorers. The 34-year-old had some good moments in the playoffs, butmade just 1 of his first 10 shots on Thursday as the Suns fell intoa huge hole.

Suns guardDevin Booker was brilliant in most of the postseason, averaging 36points per game on 60% before Game 6. But the three-time All-Starfinished with just 12 points on Thursday.

The hometeam won the first five games of the series until the Nuggets brokethrough in Game 6.

DEJA VU

For theSuns, the loss was eerily similar to Game 7 of last year’s WesternConference semifinals.

Phoenix,with the NBA’s best record, fell behind Dallas by 30 points byhalftime and ended up losing 123-90 to end its season.

In the shotclock era, the home team has trailed by 30-plus points in apotential playoff elimination game just three times. Phoenix is nowresponsible for two of them. The other was the Bucks in 2015.

TIP-INS

Nuggets:Murray was listed as questionable before the game with a non-COVIDillness. Murray got a big hug from Nuggets coach Michael Malone ashe checked out of the game for the final time.

Suns: JockLandale finished with 13 points and five rebounds, starting inplace of Ayton. ... Hosted their 80th consecutive sellout crowd,counting regular season and postseason games. ... The Suns havenever won a title since coming into the league in 1968.