As special as Phoenix guard Devin Booker was, the Nuggets only had themselves to blame.
Costly turnovers and mental lapses dogged the Nuggets in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s thriller against Phoenix, and the Suns escaped with an impressive 140-130 win.
“Against the best team in the NBA, you can’t beat yourself and them in the same night,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “It’s just impossible.”
Booker was close to unstoppable, torching Denver for 49 points and 10 assists. His backcourt counterpart, Chris Paul, added 17 points and 13 assists in his return from injury.
The Nuggets, now 43-31, hung with the Suns’ blistering offense until three devastating turnovers in under a minute stunted their fourth-quarter momentum.