Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic’s heroics were not enough as Kevin Durant and Devin Booker each scored 36 to lead the Suns over the Nuggets 129-124 to equalize their series at 2-2 with game five Tuesday at Denver.
“It’s our job to protect home court,” Booker said. “They say a series doesn’t start until someone wins on the road so we’re going to try to do that in game five.”
Jokic could be looking at a suspension after he was issued a technical foul for shoving a spectator, none other than Suns owner Mat Ishbia, after the ball went into the crowd in the first half.
But Booker, who added 12 assists, is fine with Jokic scoring big — if he still loses.
“It’s a tough matchup,” Booker said. “He’s either scoring or getting his teammates involved or doing both. Every possession, just try to make it hard on him.
“He can have 50 all he wants as long as we get the win.”
The Suns hit 14-of-18 shots in the third quarter, their best-shooting quarter of the season, for a 98-92 edge entering the fourth.
A Jokic three-point play and Aaron Gordon’s tip-in put the Nuggets within 121-118, but T.J. Warren’s two free throws gave Phoenix a five-point edge, Jokic missed a layup and the Suns, whose reserves outscored Denver’s bench 42-11, cruised home.
“The two games in Denver I felt our defense was great. We left it somewhere in the desert. It didn’t arrive in Phoenix,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.
“Going home, that has got to be paramount. If we’re getting control of the series again, it has to start with defense. And it has to be everybody. They are scoring too easy.”
“It’s an even series now,” said Suns coach Monty Williams. “But we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
