The Denver Nuggets had a week off after flying back from Abu Dhabi and finally got back on the court tonight against the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets used the game as an opportunity to get their regular rotation an extended look while the Suns rested their entire starting lineup. Despite the imbalance of players in their standard roles, the game ended up being close throughout. Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr had big nights but the Nuggets let their foot off the gas defensively in the second half and once they finally turned the game over to their bench Phoenix was able to seize control. Denver ends up dropping their third preseason game in a row and lose 118-114.

The Suns had their outside shot going early on and the Nuggets were cold. Porter Jr. was the exception to that and even though Phoenix pulled ahead early, MPJ sparked a run to get Denver back out in front. Neither team played a ton of defense early and the game stayed close. Russell Westbrook was the first player off the bench along with Julian Strawther. Westbrook immediately hit Aaron Gordon with a nice pocket pass for a reverse dunk and the play after that Strawther drew a shooting foul. More bench players checked in, Hunter Tyson and Dario Saric specifically, and Malone went with the bench plus Braun to close out the quarter. That group played well, albeit against the Suns deep bench, and got themselves a 33-26 lead to end the first.

Phoenix stayed hot from the field to start the second quarter while Tyson took some early threes that only found iron. Strawther got a couple to go though which kept Denver in front by about a half dozen. Murray came back in for Braun and Denver stayed aggressive but they missed some easy shots and Phoenix trimmed the lead. When it got down to two Jokic came back in and restored order though the game still had some preseason sloppiness. The starting group eventually dialed in and built the lead back up. They looked crisp as the quarter progressed and were playing like a unit that is ready for the regular season. The lead stretched into double digits but the Suns still knocked down a couple threes to keep it around ten. Jokic master-classed the rest of the quarter and the Nuggets went into halftime up 60-51.

True to his word, Malone had the starters (minus Jamal Murray) open the second half for the first time in the preseason. The Suns came out hot though and got within three points in the opening minutes of the second half. Denver kept in front by a bucket or two but kept blowing easy layups. Porter and Jokic finally started to get some momentum for Denver’s offense while Westbrook tried to inject some energy. It was a mixed bag with some poor turnovers and shots. Eventually the Suns took advantage and got all the way back to tying the game at 71 near the midway point of the quarter. Russ atoned for some earlier sloppiness with a tough alley-oop finish and then buried a corner three but the Suns kept knocking down shots. They took the lead before Denver answered by pushing the fastbreak. The Nuggets reeled off a 10-0 run and got the lead back when Colin Gillespie responded for Phoenix. At the end of the third quarter the Nuggets led 90-88.

It was Braun plus the bench to start the fourth with no true point guard on the floor. Much like the first half, the fourth started with Strawther scoring the points and Tyson missing shots on the other possessions. Dario Saric also got some opportunities inside that he cashed in. The game stayed tight as Phoenix still had the three point shot working. The Nuggets offense started to stall out and Phoenix took the lead. The Nuggets offense consisted of setting up outside shots for their bigs which did not yield great results, putting the chance for victory in danger. With just over three minutes left Trey Alexander checked in for Braun. Strawther continued to be Denver’s main source of offense, keeping them within striking distance. Ryan Dunn kept hitting threes though and Denver was running out of time. Zeke Nnaji had some good minutes in the fourth, he hit a three with just over a minute left and then bullied in for a layup to pull Denver within three. Dunn got the last laugh, burying a dagger three with just over twenty seconds to go. Nuggets lose 118-114.

Best matchup: Julian Strawther vs Ryan Dunn

Oct 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn (0) controls the ball as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) defends in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The high level play came from the wings tonight. For the Nuggets, they got a very promising performance out of Strawther. He knocked down shots and attacked the basket, providing a big boost for the Nuggets bench unit. When he’s paired with Westbrook it puts a lot of pressure on opposing defenses, particularly on their reserve wing players, which looks like an advantage the Nuggets can exploit this season. On the Phoenix side it was a great game for Dunn. He was on fire seemingly all night long and was not shy about firing away from outside. He hit six three pointers and tallied twenty points. The twenty-eighth overall pick may not be in the Suns rotation come the start of the regular season, but he’s making a case for real playing time.

Main thing I noticed: MPJ looks really good

Porter Jr. was in his bag tonight. He had his standard long distance sniper game going, but he also just looks like such a difficult player to defend right now. The added muscle from the offseason is noticeable in his game as he bullied his defender on more than one occasion tonight. He also doesn’t seem to have lost any speed or shooting with his added bulk. Hopefully Denver can find more and more ways to get the ball in his hands and let him exploit matchups against smaller forwards.

Not reading a ton into three straight losses

The Nuggets have yet to win a game this preseason but color me not all that concerned. The most glaring hole right now seems to be in the backup forward spot and hopefully that gets assuaged with the return of Peyton Watson. Tyson had a tough night in that spot on both ends of the floor. Outside of that though the Nuggets look pretty much ready to roll. Jokic looks in MVP form, the bench additions plus Strawther’s growth make for a potent second unit and Braun seems to be fitting in just fine as the starting two guard. Depth is the biggest question mark and Jamal Murray only playing a half did highlight the lack of playable point guards on the Nuggets roster later in the game but going into the season Denver looks primed to be playing very high level basketball as long as they are healthy.