The Denver Nuggets showed some life in Game 3, but that only gave the Phoenix Suns something to stamp out.
The Suns beat the Nuggets 116-102 on Friday to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals, all but sealing a trip to the conference finals. No NBA team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in a series.
A night that began with Nuggets star Nikola Jokic receiving his MVP trophy quickly turned for the Suns, who were up by double digits midway through the first quarter. The Nuggets cut the lead to single digits for much of the third quarter, but a 14-2 Phoenix run increased the lead to 20 early in the fourth quarter.