The Denver Nuggets drubbed the Phoenix Suns by 27 points on Monday night.
Denver now bids to complete a sweep of a two-game set when the Nuggets and Suns reconvene on Christmas night in Phoenix.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone isn’t expecting another blowout victory on Wednesday night.
“We know playing Phoenix on Christmas night will be a much tougher challenge than we had (Monday),” Malone said after his team prevailed 117-90.
The Nuggets have won two straight games and five of six entering the rematch.
Denver outscored the Suns 62-39 in a strong second half in Monday’s game. The Nuggets put up 45 points in the decisive third quarter.
Then the Nuggets clamped down on defense in the final quarter by limiting Phoenix to 11 points. Overall, the Suns shot 39.8 percent from the field.
“That was one of our more complete games of the season,” Malone said. “That’s something we’ve been talking a lot about. You can’t be a two-quarter team in this league. I thought that was one of our best defensive efforts, beginning to end.”
Denver played without star guard Jamal Murray and hopes he will be cleared to play Wednesday. He was questionable on Tuesday’s injury report.
Murray was injured during Sunday’s 132-129 overtime victory over the host New Orleans Pelicans. He had 27 points and eight rebounds in that contest.
But Denver wasn’t the least derailed against a Phoenix squad that was missing guards Devin Booker and Grayson Allen.
Nikola Jokic scored 32 points on 12-of-17 shooting and Michael Porter Jr. added 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting. The Suns had no answers in terms of stopping the Nuggets inside, as Denver held a 50-24 edge in points in the paint.
With Murray out, little-used guard Jalen Pickett contributed 11 points and eight assists in 23 minutes off the bench. He had seen 41 minutes of action over five appearances prior to Monday.
“Just trying to keep the lead in the non-Nikola minutes and try to build it so there’s not so much stress on the starters,” Pickett said of the bench’s role. “We felt like they got worn down last year, so we’re trying to take a little bit of the load off them this year.”
The Suns have lost three straight games and six of their past eight.
Booker (left groin) and Allen (concussion) were ruled out for the rematch on Tuesday’s injury report. Booker missed the past two games and Allen sat out Monday’s affair.
With Phoenix losing both games Booker missed, the club continues to struggle when it doesn’t have its two marquee stars. The Suns are 1-9 over Kevin Durant’s two injury absences this season.
Rookie forward Ryan Dunn said it’s tough dealing with losses of players while also saying the team’s mindset has to be more resilient.
“I think we have a next-man-up mentality,” Dunn said. “Injuries happen. It’s a long season. We could have a lot of injuries. If you have that next-man-up mentality, you’ll be all right.”
Durant and Bradley Beal each scored 23 points against Denver but nobody else reached double digits.
The Suns wilted in the second half as the Nuggets certified their dominance.
“We just didn’t play hard enough,” rookie center Oso Ighodaro said. “There’s no schemes, no matter how good your players are, and if we’re not playing hard enough, we can’t win.”
Prior to the loss in Denver, the Suns dropped home games to the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons.
