Nuggets beat Suns 118-102 in Game 5 to regain series lead

DENVER (AP)— Nikola Jokic had a triple-double aftermakingupwith Suns owner Mat Ishbia and Michael Porter Jr. sankfive 3-pointers to help the Denver Nuggets beat Phoenix 118-102 onTuesday night for a 3-2 series lead.

Joker had29 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists for his 10th career playofftriple-double, breaking a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for most by acenter in NBA history.

“To behonest, I just like to win the game, so whatever it takes,” saidJokic, who was coming off a career-best 53-point performance inGame 4.

Game 6 isThursday night in Phoenix.

“If we playthe way we did today,” Jokic said, “we’re going to have a chance”to close out the series and advance to the Western ConferenceFinals for the first time since the NBA bubble in 2020.

The Sunsare confident they can shake this one off just like they did inbouncing back from two losses in Denver last week.

“Yeah. I’vebeen in here a couple of times now,” Phoenix star Devin Bookersaid. “I love it. Every game has is its own character. Every gameis its own movie, its own different preparation and everything togo with it. We’re going watch over film, see how we can be betterfor Game 6.”

The hometeam has won every game in the series. If that holds true again,the decisive winner-take-all clash will come Sunday back in Denver,where the top-seeded Nuggets own the NBA’s best home record at40-7, including 6-0 in the playoffs.

Nuggetscoach Michael Malone devised a five-point plan for the Nuggets toregain control of the series after losing two in Phoenix: patch uptheir transition defense, slow down Booker, get more from hisbench, unleash MPJ and knock down open 3s.

Check,check, check, check and check.

Porterbounced back from a quiet night in Game 4 with 19 points on 5-of-8shooting from long range. Denver outscored Phoenix 31-23 infast-break points; Booker scored 28 points but missed 11 of 19shots; Bruce Brown boosted the Nuggets’ bench with 25 points andthe Nuggets sank 13 of 27 from long range.

JamalMurray added 19 points for Denver, and Kevin Durant chipped in 26points for Phoenix but also had an uncharacteristic fiveturnovers.

The Nuggetsturned a three-point halftime lead into a 91-74 cushion with adomiinant third quarter in which Jokic made seven of eight shotsfor 17 points and Booker was just 1-for-8 for 3 points.

Thechippiness of the series reached a new level in the final minute ofthe third quarter when Nuggets swingman Brown antagonized the Sunsas they huddled up on the court and Durant gave Jokic a forearmshiver. A double technical was assessed on Durant and Brown.

“Just tosee what they were drawing up,” Jokic said when asked why he andBrown were spying on the Suns.

Durantcalled the dust-up “absolutely nothing, it wasn’t anything serious.They were excited, they were up big and we were trying to draw upsome stuff. So, it was nothing.”

So, no needfor a hug and a handshake next time they play.

Before thisgame, Jokic shared a warm pregame embrace —and thebasketball— with Ishbia 48 hours after their kerfuffleover a loose ball in Phoenix in Game 4 resulted in a technical fouland a $25,000 fine for the Nuggets big man.

“I washoping he was going to pay my fine,” Jokic cracked after thegame.

“I thinkhe’s just making light of a situation that was way overblown,”Malone said. “The NBA handled it the right way and I give theirowner, Mat Ishbia, a lot of credit when he came out after the gameand said, ‘Listen, I don’t want anyone to be suspended. Let’s letthe players decide this on the court.’ So, kudos to him forthat.

“But yeah,I think it just speaks to Nikola’s personality and him being alittle bit of a smart (aleck).”

The NBA hadstickers placed on the first several rows of seats — includingIshbia’s — reminding spectators, especially those close to theaction, of itsfan code of conductpolicyand a reminder that violations could result inejection and revocation of tickets.

TIP-INS

Suns:Seated courtside alongside Ishbia was Michigan State football coachMel Tucker, derisively known in much of Colorado as “Midnight Mel”for his departure from the Buffaloes job only hours after tellingboosters he was in Boulder to stay.

Nuggets:This marked the first game in the series that the leader after onequarter held on to win the game. ... Among the VIPs in attendancewas Broncos new head coach Sean Payton, his quarterback RussellWilson and John Calipari, who coached Booker and Murray atKentucky.