Durant, Suns work to pull out of 2-0 hole against Nuggets
PHOENIX - Kevin Durant has done just about everything an NBA player can do: He has won two championships, was named league MVP once, made 13 All-Star games and now has a lifetime contract with Nike, joining LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
So it’s not surprising that the 34-year-old knows what it takes to overcome a 2-0 playoff deficit.
The Suns will lean on that expertise on Friday night, when they attempt to climb out of a 2-0 hole against the top-seeded Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series.
Durant played for Oklahoma City in 2012 when the Thunder lost the first two games of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs before winning the next four.
"One possession at time," Durant said. "You can’t get everything back at once. Just having that focus, that togetherness on every possession, will lead to something solid."
The Suns could use a better shooting night from Durant on Friday. He made just 10 of 27 shots, including 2 of 12 3-point attempts, in a 97-87 loss in Game 2.
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Nuggets coach Michael Malone said veteran forward Aaron Gordon was doing a good job making life difficult for Durant on the offensive end.
"He is not stopping Kevin Durant. No one is. But he’s making it hard," Malone said. "That’s all you all you can hope for: He’s making it hard and not giving him any easy ones. So he’s locked in, he’s disciplined."
The Nuggets-Suns series has had the scheduling quirk of three off days between Games 2 and 3, giving both teams plenty of time to rest. That’s been particularly useful for the Suns, who likely will play Friday without 12-time All-Star Chris Paul, who has a strained left groin and didn’t practice with the team on Thursday.
"We’re a bunch of sore losers," Suns coach Monty Williams said. "That pushes you to get in the gym and look at what you can do better."
The Nuggets certainly sound like a team that expects to get the Suns’ best shot on Friday.
"Obviously, these games on the road are going to be a lot harder than they are at home," Denver’s Bruce Brown said. "They’re going to have their fans, they’re going to have their role players play better at home. So we’ve got to be extremely locked in. We’re not going to get calls. We know how that goes. So we’ve just got to be ready to play."
Need to know
The Nuggets are riding high after two double-digit wins in Denver gave them a 2-0 lead in the series. Jamal Murray was the star in Game 1 while Nikola Jokic, who finished second in the league’s MVP voting, had a dominant Game 2.
Keep an eye on
Jokic certainly looked like an MVP in Monday’s Game 2 win, notching 39 points and 16 rebounds. It wouldn’t be surprising if the 6-foot-11 center has a little extra motivation from the snub over the next few games.
Pressure is on
Suns. Phoenix made a dramatic deal for Durant at the trade deadline, hoping to win its first championship in its 55-year history. Now the Suns are two losses from the end of their season.
Injury watch
Paul’s likely absence in Game 3 will shake up the playing rotation for the Suns. Cameron Payne — a playoff hero for a few games two seasons ago — should get more playing time. Landry Shamet, Terrence Ross, Damion Lee and T.J. Warren could also see a bigger role.