Jamal Murray scored 20 of his game-high 34 points in the second half, distributed nine assists, and Nikola Jokic added 24 points with 19 rebounds as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Phoenix Suns 125-107 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals last night. The Nuggets now lead the series 1-0 in a best-of-seven format.
Aaron Gordon contributed 23 points and Bruce Brown scored 14 points after coming off the bench. The Nuggets will host Game 2 on Monday, where they remain undefeated at home this postseason.
For the Suns, Kevin Durant scored 29 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Devin Booker added 27 points along with eight assists, Deandre Ayton contributed 14 points with seven rebounds, and Chris Paul scored 11 points.
The Suns led 32-31 in the first quarter, benefiting from Durant's 15 points, but managed only four points in the second quarter. The Nuggets finished the first half ahead 68-51, and the lead grew to 18 points in the fourth quarter.
