Nuggets vs. Suns Game 3 Preview, Odds, Predictions, Picks

The Phoenix Suns face a two-game deficit against the Denver Nuggets. With the series moving to Arizona, Durant and the boys have high expectations, but the pressure is high on this unit, because they don’t have any room for mistakes. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are doing their thing as planned, with Jokic dominating and getting occasional help from other players.

Preview

Jokic joined an elite club by scoring 20+ points, pulling down 15+ rebounds, and dishing out 5+ assists in each of his last three postseason games. He is the main reason why Denver Nuggets (+175) push so well right now. The two-time NBA MVP dominated the Suns in every part of the game with 39 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists in their second meeting.

Jamal Murray was horrible in this game compared to the first, scoring only 10 points and missing all nine of his 3-point attempts. Murray had eight assists but was largely unimpressive, and he needs to forget this performance as soon as possible. Michael Porter Jr., who scored five points, was in the same boat.

Denver shot just 7-for-27 from outside the arc, but their great defense more than made up for it. For a long time, we haven’t seen Mike Malone’s crew playing such a tough defense, and credit to them.

Nikola Jokic is the 5th player in NBA history to record 20+ PTS, 15+ REB, and 5+ AST in three consecutive Playoff games.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (3x, high of 3 games)
Wilt Chamberlain (2x, high of 4 games)
Bill Russell (3 Games, 1962)
Tim Duncan (5 Games, 2003)
Nikola Jokic (3… pic.twitter.com/inUgefUeKs

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) May 2, 2023

The current situation makes the Phoenix Suns (-210) fans uncomfortable. That’s multiplied by the fact that they never returned from a two-game deficit. Monty Williams’ squad lost Game 1 of the series by nearly 20 buckets, but in Game 2, they held on until the end.

Jokic had another incredible game, and they couldn’t figure out how to stop him. Phoenix’s three-point shooting was dreadful, as they only scored on six of their 31 tries. Durant was the worst, with two threes in 12 shots.

Chris Paul‘s groin injury might be why the Suns collapsed in crucial moments. After all, CP3 is the leader of the team and the one who dictates the rhythm on the floor. With all due respect to Durant and Booker, Paul is the most important player on the Suns’ team.

Latest News

Apart from Murray’s inconsistency, other things are good in Denver. Porter Jr. faces Durant, which is a tough task, so his poor performance wasn’t that tragic.

Chris Paul’s groin is a headache for Williams. The veteran should be ready for Game 3, with the insiders from the Suns’ franchise claiming that the medical staff has enough time to solve his issue.

Head to Head

The Nuggets took Game 1 of the series 125-107 and, after that, Game 2, 97-87.

The teams had two victories each in the regular season series, both triumphing at respective homes.

Predictions

Chris Paul’s injury status is still up in the air. Injuries in the postseason have become something of a routine for him over the previous few campaigns. We will count Paul as available, as reports from Phoenix indicate he has time to get well before Saturday. The Suns are frightening in Arizona and should take Game 3, thus getting back in the series. Anything else would be a disaster for this unit.

Pick: Phoenix Suns win -210