Nuggets vs. Suns: Murray Scores 39 and Braun Hits Seven 3-Pointers as Denver Wins 127-120 in Phoenix
Denver made 20 of its 38 three-point tries on Cup opening night, survived Dillon Brooks' 22 points and ejection, and held off a late Phoenix run to win its sixth straight game in the series.
Jamal Murray scored 39 points and made seven 3-pointers, and Christian Braun added 29 points with a career-high seven 3-pointers of his own, as the Denver Nuggets opened NBA Cup play with a 127-120 win over the host Phoenix Suns on Friday, Reuters reported. Murray scored 28 of his points in the second half, including 15 in the third quarter, and added eight rebounds and five assists.
The two teams combined for 38 made 3-pointers — Denver shot 20-of-38 from beyond the arc and Phoenix 18-of-42 — in the highest-perimeter game of Cup opening night. Nikola Jokic finished with 18 points and 10 assists, three rebounds short of his second consecutive triple-double; he had recorded the 200th regular-season triple-double of his career in Wednesday's win at New Orleans.
Phoenix's night ran through Dillon Brooks, who scored a season-high 22 points with four 3-pointers before he was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected with 8:05 remaining in the third quarter, Denver leading 84-76 at the time. Miles Bridges scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Suns, and Devin Booker added 20 points on 7-of-19 shooting on his 30th birthday, with Collin Gillespie contributing 16 points and 10 assists.
The Suns made it close late — a 7-0 run pulled them within 123-117 with 35.4 seconds remaining — but Murray's two free throws with 13.4 seconds left closed it out. Denver has won six straight games in the series, while Phoenix has lost three of its first four games this season.
