Nuggets Drop Game 3 116-102, in 3-0 Hole to Suns in 2nd Round of Playoffs

Phoenix Suns v Denver Nuggets - Game Three

Despite his best efforts, NBA MVP Nikola Jokic just didn't have enough help in Denver's Game 3 loss to the Suns (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)Photo: Getty Images

The Denver Nuggets find themselves in a place you never want to be in sports, down 3-0 in a best-of-seven series. The Suns came into a packed Ball Arena, with 18,300 fans, and left with a 116-102 win.

The crowd was electric even before the game tipped off as Nikola Jokic was presented with his NBA Most Valuable Player trophy. He then came out and played like everyone would expect and MVP to play, posting a triple-double with 32 points, 20 rebounds and 11 assists. "I thought it was incredible, Head Coach Michael Malone said. "How many times do you see in the playoffs a 32, 20 and 10 triple-double, it’s opretty special….a special moment for the Jokic family(pregame)…then to come out and play like the MVP, that was spectacular."

The 2-headed monster of the Suns backcourt featuring future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul and all-star Devin Booker had their way with the Denver defense, who struggled in transition in the 1st half. Paul finished with 27 points and 8 assists, Booker had a team-high 28. DeAndre Ayton scored 10 but grabbed 15 rebounds and as Jokic said postgame, he made it difficult on the MVP.

After Game 2, Malone questioned his team's effort, and accused them of quitting. After Game 3 he said that their effort was never in question.

Will Barton played nearly 28 minutes, and Malone said the training staff wouldn't be happy about it, but he contributed 14 points off the bench. Michael Porter Jr. had 15. Barton shared this insight postgame as to what he's been saying to the training staff the last couple of days to increase him "just trying to get them to let me play even more," Barton said, "telling them to just trust me. If I’m not feeling good, if I’m not moving right, then take me out. I knew tonight would be a big game, I just wanted to go out and give it my all and try to get a win.”

Despite his triple-double, when asked what his message to his teammates was postgame Joker offered this, "I said to guys, it was my bad, I really needed to be better, and just Game 4. We need to win. I think when we feel the win, it’ll be much easier."

Backup guard Monte Morris pushed back against Joker's sentiment picking on himself and offered plenty of kind words to say about his MVP's effort "you can't buy heart, you can't teach toughness, you just gotta have that in you. He has that, still fighting to the end, the MVP of the league, we should all follow suit. Shouldn't be rocket science...we're a talented group and we've shown it on many occasions"

Malone made it simple enough as to what needs to happen in Sunday's Game 4, "We’ve had a tremendous season…one thing I don’t want is for us to go out quietly into that good night, I hope we show some fight and resolve and force this series to go back to Phoenix to Game 5."


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