The Suns head to Denver to take on the Nuggets.
Here are five things to know before watching the Suns and Nuggets renew their rivalry on Saturday. (9ET, League Pass)
- Nuggets look to rebound after tough loss: The Nuggets had a difficult task facing the Golden State Warriors in their opener. That proved to be one of the games of the season, with the Warriors prevailing in overtime, 137-131. The Nuggets held the lead for most of that game and got their lead up to 14 points at times but were victim to a patented Stephen Curry flurry. Nikola Jokić did finish with a triple-double, while Aaron Gordon dropped a career-high 50 points on 10-for-11 from three-point range.
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The Suns are looking for a fresh start: The Suns are turning the page on a new chapter with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal now playing elsewhere. The new-look Suns got off on the right foot in the opener, though, mounting a massive comeback. They overcame a 20-point deficit to beat the Sacramento Kings 120-116 on Wednesday. They rode a 66-45 second half to that victory and got contributions all across this new-look roster. Phoenix will be tested against the Nuggets on short rest, too, as the Suns played the Clippers on Friday night
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Jokić eyeing another MVP: Gordon’s 50 points were the storyline in their opening defeat, but Jokić quietly recorded another triple-double. He’s in the inner circle of leading MVP candidates and is poised for another monster season. He finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in that defeat, but shot 2-for-13 from 3-point range. That shooting performance is clearly an outlier, so look for the big man to bounce back here. In his last game against the Suns, Jokić collected 31 points, 21 rebounds and 22 assists in one of the greatest individual performances in NBA history. That was the first and only 30-20-20 game in the history of the league.
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Who’s going to help Devin Booker in Phoenix? The Suns could be a surprise team because they’ve built a solid group of role players to complement Booker’s elite skillset. We’ve yet to see Jalen Green (hamstring) take the floor, but Dillon Brooks’ presence has already been a huge factor. He was the other key piece of the Kevin Durant trade, with Brooks tallying 22 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in his debut. His grittiness and defense might be the most impactful factor in changing the team’s identity. They also got double-digit rebounds from Ryan Dunn and Mark Williams in that opening win, while Grayson Allen amassed 18 points, five rebounds and seven assists. The Suns may not be recognizable from their previous core, but if they gel, they could be a sneaky team in the West.
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Suns and Nuggets renew their rivalry: These two teams always play competitive games, and their matchups often garner national attention. In fact, they’ve squared off on Christmas Day in two of the last three seasons. Since 2023, they’ve played three overtime games across 11 total matchups. Denver has been the better team recently, winning three of four games against Phoenix last season. However, the Suns had been the better side prior to that, winning four of the previous five meetings.
