Devin Booker SAVAGELY DISMISSES Nikola Jokic’s 53-point masterpiece in Suns’ key win over Nuggets

Suns overcome Jokic’s historic night with Booker and Durant’s 36 points each

Devin Booker SAVAGELY DISMISSES Nikola Jokic’s 53-point masterpiece in Suns’ key win over Nuggets

Devin Booker (L) and Nikola Jokic (R)

On Sunday night, Nikola Jokic did everything he could to keep the Denver Nuggets alive in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals. He scored a playoff career-high 53 points on 20-of-30 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three-point range. He carried the Nuggets in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 of their 32 points. But it wasn’t enough to stop the Phoenix Suns from evening the series at 2-2 with a 129-124 win. The Suns had their own dynamic duo in Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, who negated Jokic’s output with 36 points apiece.

Booker was nearly flawless, making 14 of his 18 shots and dishing out 12 assists. Durant was dominant, grabbing 11 rebounds and hitting two clutch free throws to seal the win. Post-game, Booker was asked about his efficiency and how he felt about Jokic’s performance. He shrugged off both questions, saying he only cared about winning.

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“He can have 50 all he wants as long as we get the win,” Booker said of Jokic. “I’m just trying to win. Throw that efficiency (expletive) out the window, I don’t care about that. Just keep going. Keep attacking, keep being aggressive. If it’s a product of getting open shots and knocking them down, that’s what I’m supposed to do.”

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On the other hand, Durant had high praise for Jokic’s historic performance. He said, “It felt like they were easy shots… I hate when he makes shots. Because he’s so unorthodox and it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s a miss.’ And then it goes straight in. He’s incredible.“

Also Read: Nikola Jokic gets ULTIMATE PRAISE from Shaquille O’Neal after Nuggets star drops 53 points

Devin Booker’s and Kevin Durant’s 36 points lift Suns over Nuggets in Game 4 thriller

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The game was a shootout from start to finish, with both teams shooting over 55% from the field. The Suns shot over 40% from beyond the arc, while the Nuggets settled with 31.8%. The Suns led by as many as 12 points in the third quarter, but the Nuggets fought back, courtesy of Jokic’s brilliance. He hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:38 left to give Denver a 118-117 lead, but that was the last time they would be ahead on the scoreboard.

The Suns responded with a decisive 10-0 run, sparked by a layup by Durant and capped by a dagger 3-pointer by Landry Shamet with 1:05 left. Shamet was the only other Phoenix player to score in double digits, finishing with 19 points off the bench. Deandre Ayton had another quiet night offensively with eight points and eight rebounds.

The Suns will look to take a 3-2 lead in the series in Game 5 on Tuesday night. The Nuggets will try to bounce back and maintain their home-court advantage with another strong performance from Jokic and his supporting cast.

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