CNN
—
The Phoenix Suns picked up a formidable – and surprising – 117-107 time beyond regulation highway win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday behind a 35-point efficiency from 2014 NBA MVP Kevin Durant.
After a three-game skid in the course of February, the Nuggets had just lately recaptured their kind and entered the sport towards the Suns on a six-game profitable streak.
Led by 25 factors, 16 rebounds and 5 assists from MVP candidate Nikola Jokić, the Nuggets regarded heading in the right direction to make it a seventh straight victory till Durant hit a step-back three-pointer with simply 27 seconds remaining to tie the sport.
Durant had been struggling together with his capturing late within the sport, going 1-for-8 within the fourth quarter earlier than his game-tying bucket, however stepped up on the essential second.
“I knew coming throughout half-court: ‘That is do-or-die proper right here, I’ve bought make this shot or it could be sport,’” Durant stated, per the NBA. “My fundamentals had been proper on that one.
“It felt good leaving my arms. … I simply love listening to the group go silent. That’s all the time a superb feeling on the highway.”
After scoring a miserly 12 factors within the fourth quarter to permit the Nuggets to finish their comeback from 22 factors down within the third, the Suns put up 15 in time beyond regulation – 5 of which got here from Bradley Beal – and put the clamps on Denver, limiting the house group to 5 factors within the further interval.
Within the absence of star guard Devin Booker, who missed his second straight sport with an ankle harm, the Suns had been helped by 28 factors from Grayson Allen, together with eight triples.
“You have a look at the totality of the season, clearly, the top result’s all the time essential, enjoying within the playoffs, making an attempt to win a championship, these are essential,” Durant added.
“However you have fun little moments.”
Jokić, who made an absurd spinning step-back three-pointer to beat the buzzer on the finish of the primary quarter, had the possibility to win the sport on the demise however his last-gasp floater was off the mark.
Jamal Murray added 28 factors, seven rebounds and 9 assists for the defending champion Nuggets, who now sit third within the Western Convention, whereas Michael Porter Jr. added 20 factors and 7 rebounds.
“That is a type of the place tomorrow all of us really feel higher,” Murray added. “Tomorrow, now we have higher readability and much more optimistic power, however at present, it’s powerful.
“It wasn’t only one one that didn’t shoot effectively, it was rattling close to all people.”
Victory for the Suns snaps a two-game skid, with the group at the moment sixth within the West and nonetheless combating to keep away from the play-in.