As basketball fans, it would be near impossible to ask for a better opening game to the Western Conference semifinals than Game 1 of the Suns versus the Nuggets. As the two teams were locked in a back and forth game for the good part of 30 minutes. Booker, Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, and Cameron Payne did what has become their usual entertaining performance as they steamrolled the Nuggets in the third quarter and never looked back. Now the Suns look to win Game 2 and take a commanding 2-0 series lead we look at what the Suns will have to do to get it done in this Western Conference matchup.
The player to look at for Game 2 is Chris Paul. The Suns will look for Paul to get started quickly and to stay hot throughout the game. Paul is dealing with a shoulder injury which may play a part in his scoring efficiency but it did not seem to bother him in Game 1. According to NBA.com “Chris Paul (21 points and 11 assists) took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 points to put the game to bed.” It will be crucial for Paul to score and facilitate the ball early and often as the veteran leader on the team and the player with the most playoff experience as this is Booker and Ayton’s first playoff appearances.
Defense will be a factor in Game 2
Another key factor will be to force turnovers. Denver finished with 12 turnovers Monday night which directly led to 10 points. If Phoenix can keep playing the ferocious defense they displayed in Round 1 and towards the end of the game Monday night and capitalize on Denver’s turnovers there is no reason why Game 2 should not be a blowout Suns win.
The final factor will be keeping the newly crowned MVP Nikola Jokić in check. Nikola Jokić also known as “The Joker,” is a 7-foot rebounding, scoring, and passing machine. Joker has become the first center to win the MVP award since Shaquille O’neal in the year 2000.
This season, Jokić averaged 26.4 points per game, 8.3 assists per game, and 10.8 rebounds per game. It is safe to say keeping him in check should be the Suns’ main priority on the defensive end as Ayton will surely have his hands full in Game 2. This series could go either way as the two teams are for the most part evenly matched with the Suns having more of a slight advantage due to the momentum being in their favor and the Nuggets being struck by injury.