NBA Playoffs: Phoenix Suns Blow Out Nuggets, Take 2-0 Series Lead

PHOENIX, AZ — The Phoenix Suns assumed a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, thanks to stifling defense and a little help from the patrons at Phoenix Suns Arena.

The Suns, who led wire-to-wire in the team's 123-98 win over the Nuggets in Game 2, held Denver to 40 percent shooting, while Phoenix shot 47.9 percent from the floor.

It was a night that left the 16,000-plus capacity crowd in the Valley of the Sun screaming for joy, while leaving Nuggets head coach Michael Malone to wonder what went wrong.

“This was an embarrassing performance for myself all the way to the last player,” Malone said. “We are walking out here with our heads held down and rightfully so. There was a reason that their crowd was yelling 'Suns in four!' and they are calling for a sweep because if we play like this in Denver, this is going to be a really quick series.”

For Suns players, like veteran guard Chris Paul, Wednesday's result would not have been possible without the energy inside the downtown arena.

Paul, who scored 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting in Game 2, commended those that showed up, with the 17 year guard seeming genuinely awestruck at the crowd's energy on Wednesday night.

“It got a little loud, then it got really loud, then it got crazy," Paul said.

Defensive mettle

Perhaps the biggest momentum shift for Phoenix in Game 2 was the way head coach Monty Williams drew up the Suns' defense, swarming and stifling NBA MVP Nikola Jokic with double teams that clogged up Denver's normally fast-paced offense.

The Suns were able to hold Jokic, who averaged 26.4 points per game on 50.8 percent shooting during the regular season, to 24 points on Wednesday night.

More importantly, the Suns managed to exploit Jokic on the defensive end, with the Serbian seven-footer finishing the night with a -14 rating, two nights after he posted a -13 rating in Game 1.

Williams commended his players for executing on the defensive end, saying the collective's ability to coalesce around the ball when Denver had possession speaks to their cohesiveness as a team.

“It was one of our better defensive halves of the year against a good offensive team,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “We were relentless with our effort, our communication and coverages.”

Heading to the Mile High City

The best-of-seven series shifts 600 miles northeast, with the Suns and Nuggets meeting next at Denver's Ball Arena at 7 p.m. Friday.

The contest, which will be aired nationwide on ESPN, is pitting the team with the conference's fourth-best home record (Denver) against the one with the best road record in the 30-team association (Phoenix).

The Suns have thrived away from the Valley in particular, posting a 24-12 record on the road, two more than the next closest teams.

A total of 28 teams out of the 430 that have been played in the NBA's postseason history, or 6.5 percent of teams, have won a playoff series after falling behind 2-0, representing the long odds that the Denver Nuggets face in regaining control of the series.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.