Nuggets at Suns
The Denver Nuggets held serve at home and took the opener of a home-and-home set with a 127-120 triumph over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. The Nuggets will try to make it two straight over the Suns and seven wins in the last nine games overall when they visit Phoenix on Saturday.
Budding star Nikola Jokic did his part with 29 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists and two blocks in Thursday's win but went down late and was diagnosed with a left hip strain that could keep him out of the next few games. "It's mixed emotions in the locker room," Nuggets coach Michael Malone told reporters after the win. "Nikola is truly beloved by all of his teammates. He has no ego, he's a young kid, he likes to have fun, he's a little bit goofy, and the guys love him for that. For all the success that he's having he's still the same kid, and that's why everybody cares about him and respects him." The absence of Jokic should give Phoenix even more room to operate on the offensive end after it fell despite shooting 53.9 percent from the floor on Thursday. "We've been relying on our offense for a while now," reserve forward Jared Dudley told the Arizona Republic. "It's only a matter of time and eventually it catches up on you. We just got to get better at the little things."
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), FSN Arizona (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (20-25): X-rays on Jokic's hip came back negative, and teammates were relieved. "It’s good news for us," shooting guard Will Barton told reporters. "He’s been playing out of this world for us - our best player. It would be tough to see him go down for a long time. I’m just happy he’s fine." Jokic's minutes will likely shift back to center Jusuf Nurkic, who began the season splitting time with Jokic but could not find his way off the bench in two of the last three games and is the subject of trade rumors.
ABOUT THE SUNS (15-31): Phoenix (14-of-17) attempted fewer than half as many free throws as Denver (30-of-35) on Thursday despite penetrating guards Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker and Brandon Knight attacking the paint. "Maybe we've got to drive to the rim more," Suns coach Earl Watson told reporters. "I thought we do it a lot. Eric Bledsoe's consistently getting to the rim - and Booker - but maybe it wasn't tonight. I'll have to watch the film." Bledsoe went 7-of-9 from the free-throw line and finished with a team-high 28 points to boost his scoring average to 27 points over the last six contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Nuggets PG Emmanuel Mudiay (back) sat out the last three games and is questionable for Saturday.
2. Suns C Tyson Chandler managed four points and five rebounds on Thursday after averaging 17.3 points and 14.5 boards in the previous four contests.
3. Denver took the last five in the series, including a 120-114 triumph in Phoenix on Nov. 27.