As expected, the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns have advanced to the second round, setting up one of the most fascinating matchups we may see all postseason. Can Nikola Jokic lead the Nuggets back to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2020? Or will Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and the Suns have too much firepower?
Here's everything you need to know about Saturday night's Game 1 from Denver:
(1) Denver Nuggets vs. (4) Phoenix Suns
- Date: Saturday, April 29 | Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Ball Arena -- Denver, Colorado
- TV channel: TNT | Live stream: TNT app
- Odds: Nuggets -2.5; O/U 226 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Nuggets: The Nuggets have gotten a pass for their early exits in the last two postseasons due to injuries, but they're fully healthy now and have their best team in over a decade. If this group is ever going to compete for a title, this is the time to do it with a wide open Western Conference. It will be fascinating to see how Nikola Jokic and Co. fare given the expectations and pressure against a battle-tested, but thin Suns group that can put up points in a hurry.
Suns: The Suns went all in to get Kevin Durant, and as a result now boast an incredible perimeter scoring combination in him and Devin Booker. They sacrificed any semblence of depth to do so, however, and it will be interesting to see how much they have to pay for that decision as the playoffs go along. Trying to keep up with the Nuggets' high-powered offense will be a big test, especially at the altitude in Denver.
Prediction
As the line for Game 1 indicates, this figures to be an extremely even series. We'll take the Nuggets to feed off the emotion of their home crowd and outlast the Suns by a narrow margin. Pick: Nuggets -2.5
