The Denver Nuggets were missing the services of reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic during Thursday’s game, but somehow, they still managed to give the mighty Phoenix Suns a proper scare. Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were all out of action as well, but for some reason, the Suns barely managed to escape with a 119-115 victory at the Footprint Center.
For his part, Chris Paul had what he describes as a “weird” game. At one point in the hardly-contested matchup, the Suns point god had zero assists to his name. CP3 had to get a bit more creative on offense, and it resulted in him draining a career-high seven triples on the evening. After the game, the 37-year-old vet fired a stern message as the Suns logged their seventh consecutive victory:
“On this run that we’re trying to have, it’s whatever it takes. I don’t care what it look like, how many points, assists, whatever. Just win the game,” Paul said.
"On this run that we're trying to have, it's whatever it takes. I don't care what it look like, how many points, assists, whatever. Just win the game."
25 PTS | 7-12 3PT (career high)#WeAreTheValley | @SweetJames pic.twitter.com/uqjsZNATtb
— Bally Sports Arizona (@BALLYSPORTSAZ) April 7, 2023
Paul finished the win with 25 points on 9-of-15 from the field, to go along with six rebounds, two assists, a steal, a block, and just one turnover in 37 minutes of action. The Suns needed CP3’s scoring in this one with Devin Booker struggling with his shot, so Paul responded by hitting seven out of his 12 attempts from deep.
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Kevin Durant was his usual dominant self, though, logging 29 points, seven rebounds, and four dimes, while also going 6-of-10 from distance. It was all in a day’s work for KD.
This is just a stern reminder that Chris Paul can still turn it on when need be. The Suns have more than enough firepower on their squad, but opponents better not forget about CP3’s ability to catch fire on any given night.