{"id":241576,"date":"2025-10-26T15:08:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T15:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/241576\/"},"modified":"2025-10-26T15:08:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-26T15:08:08","slug":"diving-into-what-worked-for-nuggets-in-dominant-win-vs-suns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/241576\/","title":{"rendered":"Diving Into What Worked for Nuggets in Dominant Win vs. Suns"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Denver Nuggets served up a show against the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets have now put up 130+ points in each of their first two games. They had seven players in double figures (all five starters plus Jonas Valanciunas and Bruce Brown). Denver also produced 13 steals and nine dunks, and exhibited as close to total dominance from tip-to-finish as a team can have. <\/p>\n

But it should be noted that this win also came against a Suns team fresh off a 27-point loss to the Clippers on Friday night, so we should take the dominant win with a grain of salt.<\/p>\n

From the first possession, with Cam Johnson burying a three right away, you felt the tone. It was good for him to get one from deep straight away. Johnson\u2019s long ball was temperamental for the rest of the night, but he attacked the lane well, spread the floor, and finished with 15 points.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Enter Aaron Gordon. Second Nuggets’ possession? Dunk. And he wasn\u2019t finished either. Check the tape\u2014he treated Phoenix like his personal dunk-lab. There was a 360 alley-oop highlight that brought Nuggets Nation to their feet and Suns fans to their knees. <\/p>\n

AARON GORDON 360 SLAM \ud83d\ude31<\/p>\n

NUGGETS LEAD AT THE BREAK.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa NBA League Pass
\ud83d\udcf2 https:\/\/t.co\/7Dn4QFI6Ue<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/HN8s6lRcla<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NBA (@NBA) October 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Gordon was at it all night, including another rim-rocker at 5,280 feet above sea level in the fourth quarter. And I haven\u2019t even mentioned his behind-the\u2010back, no-look lob assist that had us all reeling. Can anyone tell this guy has been playing with teammate Nikola Jokic much?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Next scoring possession, Jamal Murray attacks the rim head-on. Nuggets up 7\u20133. Murray also ended the first quarter by nailing a 50-foot heave. Not only that, but he caught fire in the fourth, looking like playoff Jamal just two games in. <\/p>\n

JAMAL. MURRAY. HEAVE. pic.twitter.com\/j62mKk3UWD<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

The Suns sensed a window early in the fourth, but Murray wasn\u2019t having it. He hit a saucy fadeaway and then, on the very next possession, drained a clean three from deep, which all but ended the Suns’ hope. <\/p>\n

Christian Braun finished off Denver’s fourth scoring possession with a fast-break dunk off a Jokic steal and assist. 9-3 Denver. Braun ended last season with 179 fast-break points\u2014the most in the NBA ahead of guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James. He continued that trend on Saturday night with multiple fast-break points and his usual quiet intensity. <\/p>\n

So, in the first four scoring possessions, every Nuggets starter but Jokic had already scored. And who, mayhaps, was the man dishing the assists to every single one of those starters? Who else? Nikola Jokic finished the night with 14 points, 14 rebounds, and 15 assists in 32 minutes. <\/p>\n

Sure, Jokic was in a bit of foul trouble early on and was 0-3 from three-point range, but so what? When you can see everyone on the court with eyes in the back of your head, why not dish it?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nikola Jokic in his first two games of the season:<\/p>\n

14 PTS – 14 REB – 15 AST
21 PTS – 13 REB – 10 AST<\/p>\n

Another day, another triple-double. pic.twitter.com\/E2JxiysdFl<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

On the role-player front: Jonas Valanciunas rolled in for 12 points in 13 minutes\u2014put-backs, strong defense, a fast-break pass, and seven big boy rebounds. Watching Big Val run the pick-and-roll so well with Murray is a revelation. <\/p>\n

Bruce Brown hit a timely three, grabbed a few rebounds of his own. Tim Hardaway Jr. missed twice from deep, then drilled one that mattered. And Peyton Watson wants you to know that the Nuggets\u2019 bench isn\u2019t just filler\u2014they\u2019re difference-makers. Even Spencer Jones, who was in the game for about 30 seconds, helped force a timely Suns 24-second violation with his tenacious D.<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s a wrinkle? The third quarter again. Denver gave up five turnovers in that 12-minute span, they allowed too many Phoenix offensive rebounds, watched the Suns score a barrage of three-pointers, and saw them climb back into the game by the early fourth. You can\u2019t do that against good teams and expect to survive\u2014as the Nuggets know too well from their matchup with Golden State on Thursday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s what to take away: Denver is already showing early signs that they\u2019re deep. Really deep. They\u2019re also letting teams chip away at their leads, which can\u2019t continue to happen. David Adelman, of course, is still experimenting and we\u2019re still witnessing different looks and line-ups. But overall, Saturday night’s performance gives a lot of hope to the entire Centennial State.<\/p>\n