Nikola Jokic took charge of Game 2 in Denver on Monday night, as he put up 39 points and grabbed 16 boards and keyed a fourth-quarter rally that pulled the Nuggets ahead for a 97-87 win. Now the Nuggets head to the desert with a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series against the Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker scored 35 for the Suns, and Kevin Durant chipped in 24, but the two of them missed 32 shots combined, including 14 from behind the arc. Phoenix now has a -30 point differential from three-point range in two games. Will this change on the Suns’ home floor? Don’t miss our NBA betting preview.
NBA Betting News: Western Conference Semifinal Preview
Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns, Game 3
Nuggets lead, 2-0
When: Friday, May 5, 2023, 10:00 pm ET
Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix
TV: ESPN
Radio: No National Broadcast
Live Stream: ESPN+
NBA Odds: Denver +4.5 / O/U 224.5 // Denver +155 / Phoenix -190
Why should you bet on the Nuggets?
Denver needs to turn up the energy on the road, as they have just a 20-23 record outside the Mile High City this season, including an 0-2 record in Phoenix during the regular season. Getting a split in Phoenix would pretty much give the Nuggets a hammerlock on the series. The depth that Denver has has played a key role in the first two games, and depth is an edge that works on the road as well as at home.
The only Nugget on the injury report is Collin Gillespie (leg). He is just a fringe player who would not get much time in a postseason game anyway, so don’t expect the Nuggets to miss his contributions much. In addition to Jokic, Jamal Murray (25.7 points per game) has an elite scoring touch, and they also have a shutdown defense, ranking in the league’s top ten in several different metrics. Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr are showing more confidence at the forward position, and if that continues, the Nuggets will be hard to stop on all levels.
Bet on the Nuggets!
Why should you put your money on the Suns?
The Suns enter Game 3 with their backs against the wall, and two problems have emerged in the first two games: cold shooting and an inability to get scoring off the bench. Returning home should help, though; the Suns went 30-14 during the regular season. This time around, though, the Suns may either have to play without Chris Paul or with a limited Chris Paul, as he had to come out of Game 2 early with a groin injury. He remains listed as questionable ahead of tonight’s game.
The Suns’ defense has been adequate, as they held Denver to 40 points in the first half of Game 2. The problem is that the Suns only scored 42, and then when the Nuggets solved the Suns’ defense to score 57 in the second half, the Suns could only respond with 45. If you like the Suns, you see KD and Devin Booker finding their scoring touch as the series returns home, and you see Deandre Ayton showing up in the paint this time around.
Bet on the Suns!
Final Score and Prediction
The Suns were able to dispatch the Clippers with surprising ease, but it’s important to remember that the Clippers lost Kawhi Leonard early in the series. The Nuggets have all kinds of depth, so they can amp up the offense more easily than the Clippers could. I think the Suns can hang on and win, but I’m not sure they can cover this spread. I predict a final score of Phoenix 111, Denver 108.
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