By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets absolutely dominated the shorthanded Phoenix Suns on Thursday night to officially secure their spot in the Western Conference finals. The Nuggets flew to an easy 125-100 blowout win over the Suns at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, which closed out their Western Conference semifinals series 4-2. It was the largest margin of victory by any road team so far this postseason.
Jokic — who had his 10th career playoff triple-double in their Game 5 win, which set an NBA record for a center — led the Nuggets with 32 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds on Thursday. He’s the first player to have three triple-doubles in the same playoff series since Russell Westbrook did in 2017. Jamal Murray added 26 points, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished with 21 points. They shot almost 54% from the field as a team, too.
Durant finished with 23 points, and ended up shooting 8-of-19 from the field. Cameron Payne dropped 31 points after shooting 7-of-9 from behind the arc. Devin Booker finished with 12 points and 8 assists, and shot just 4-of-13 from the field.
The Suns were missing both Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. Paul missed most of the series with a groin injury. Ayton was ruled out on Thursday afternoon with a rib contusion, something he sustained in Game 5 on Tuesday night after colliding with Bruce Brown. But, perhaps more disappointing for Suns fans, Phoenix has now been on the wrong end of a blowout with a spot in the conference finals on the line in back-to-back seasons. The Dallas Mavericks beat the Suns by 33 points in Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinals series last season.
The Nuggets will now await the winner of the “California State Championship” series in the conference finals. The Lakers hold a 3-2 series lead over the Golden State Warriors headed into Game 6 of their series on Friday night.
Celtics got the advantage back
Led by Marcus Smart and a fourth-quarter awakening of Jayson Tatum, the Celtics kept their season going Thursday with a 95-86 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The series will be decided by Game 7 in Boston on Sunday.
Smart led the team in scoring with 22 points plus 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals, but the game hinged on Tatum, who posted 16 fourth-quarter points after having just 3 in the previous 36 minutes.
Tatum alone outscored the Sixers 16-13 in the entire quarter, and also finished with 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.