NBA play-offs: Phoenix Suns’ Chris Paul stars in 123-98 victory over Denver Nuggets
Point guard Chris Paul scored 17 points and set an NBA play-off record as he helped the Phoenix Suns to a 123-98 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Paul, 36, became the first player to rack up three play-off games with 15 assists and no turnovers.
An emphatic win gave the Suns a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semi-finals series.
It was the Nuggets’ heaviest defeat of the season, with head coach Michael Malone calling it “embarrassing”.
Devin Booker scored a team-best 18 points for the Suns, who have now won five consecutive post-season games.
Every Suns starter scored double figures, and Paul said: “It was a team effort, once again.”
Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who was announced on Wednesday as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, was the visitors’ most influential player with 24 points, 13 rebounds and six assists – more than his side’s other starters combined – despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter.
“This was just an embarrassing performance all the way around, from top to bottom,” said head coach Malone.
“I saw one team that wanted to be here, played with purpose and urgency, and one team that did not want to be here and played with no urgency.”
Game three will be played in Denver on Friday.