The Denver Nuggets play host to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night in a game five Western Conference showdown from Ball Arena. After dominating the first two games and looking like they might be on their way to the Western Conference finals, the Suns came back to win a pair in Arizona over the weekend, setting the tone for a fantastic finish to this series. Denver is 4-0 in four meetings between the two at Ball Arena and if games one and two were a precursor for the rest of the series, another win will be expected in this one. The Suns could have a tough time but have the talent to make things interesting.
After an opening two games that had many thinking the Suns might be on their way toward getting swept, Phoenix suddenly finds itself right back in the thick of this series. At 2-2, anything can open over the next handful of games, though they'll need to change their fortunes on the road if they want to find themselves in the next round. With a 19-26 record in road games this season, this team has struggled away from home. Adding in that they're going to a place where they're winless on the season, could mean their confidence and momentum being reset. Even despite winning a pair of games at home, concerns continue to exist, especially given how much of an emphasis has been on their superstars to carry the load. A more-balanced scoring attack will be needed in this one, as well a far more level-head performance on the road.
The Suns continue to be without one of their stars in this one, which could have an i mpact on this road game. Chris Paul (groin) remains out and it's clear the Phoenix misses his energy and experience on both ends over the course of this series.
Playing for each other. pic.twitter.com/pufbjxzBL1
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) May 8, 2023
Despite Phoenix struggling on the offensive end during the regular season, they've been able to find another level to scoring in the postseason. Devin Booker (36.8 ppg) and Kevin Durant (30.0 ppg) have been on another level in this series and if they can continue to push toward 80 points between the two of them, they'll be difficult to stop. As mentioned earlier, being without Paul continues to hurt and the lack of depth on this team has been their biggest obstacle to overcome. Expect the defensive end to make the difference in this on though, especially after their struggles on that end in games one and two.