Phoenix Suns Improve To 2-0 In Preseason With 97-89 Win Over The Denver Nuggets

The Phoenix Suns are off to a 2-0 start to their preseason after defeating the Denver Nuggets 97-89 Friday night at the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

It was a solid effort from the Suns, but it didn't mean much playing a Nuggets team with no Kenneth Faried, J.J. Hickson, and JaVale McGee. With the three big men out, Denver was forced to shoot 25 three pointers and only managed to make 7, a 28 percent clip. The Suns made 12 of their 31 three pointers, a 38 percent mark that really boosted the Suns to victory.

Phoenix's defense was another key in their victory on Friday as they held Denver to 40 percent shooting and forced the Nuggets to earn their points the hard way at the line, where they only shot 51.6 percent (16-31). Danilo Gallinari and Timofey Mozgov led the Nuggets in scoring with 17 and 14 points a piece. Gallinari hasn't played in a year and a half due to injuries, but got up and down the court well in his 14 minutes of play. He was five-of-nine from the field and five-of-seven from the line. Mozgov was also getting up and down the court well, getting early positioning in the paint that led to him going four-for-six from the field and a perfect six-for-six at the line.

The Suns had five players in double figures in Goran Dragic, Markieff Morris, Gerald Green, Anthony Tolliver, and first round draft choice T.J. Warren. Dragic and Morris both tied for a team leading 12 points, while Green had 11, and both Tolliver and Warren had ten. Eric Bledsoe and newly acquired Isaiah Thomas both came extremely close to double digits with nine and eight points. Thomas has been impressive in a Suns uniform so far as he also had six assists and four rebounds. 

The Suns will head to Houston, Texas to take on the Houston Rockets on Monday at the Toyota Center. Meanwhile, the Nuggets will face the Chicago Bulls on the same day at the United Center.