Jokic shines as Suns lose Game 2 and CP3 to injury
Nikola Jokic had an MVP-worthy performance in the second half to help the Denver Nuggets rally past the Phoenix Suns for a 97-87 Game 2 victory.
Jokic registered 26 of his game-high 39 points in the final 24 minutes. He had 16 boards, five assists, two steals, and one block. The Serbian star surpassed Alex English for the most 30-point playoff games in franchise history, according to StatMuse.
"I know what motivates Nikola Jokic, what motivates myself, and the rest of the guys in that locker room is not the MVP (award)," Nuggets head coach Michael Malone told reporters after the win. "It is our journey to try and win the first championship in franchise history. And that's paramount to everything else."
Denver began its comeback after Chris Paul left in the third quarter due to left groin tightness.
Paul appeared to sustain the injury while attempting to corral a rebound midway through the frame. The veteran immediately grabbed his groin area and walked gingerly off to the locker room shortly after.
Chris Paul groin; Suns pic.twitter.com/iba7vQ38jJ
— Oh no he didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 2, 2023
"It just looked like he was boxing out and he just came up where he couldn't push off of it or anything," Suns head coach Monty Williams told reporters postgame, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports.
The Nuggets outscored the Suns 42-28 following Paul's exit, including a 27-14 advantage over the final 12 minutes.
Suns star Devin Booker added 35 points, six assists, and five boards in a losing cause. The Kentucky product took over ball-handling duties with Paul out.
Williams believes that added responsibility wore on Booker down the stretch.
"I think it's a lot. He was probably more tired than he would admit, but with Chris off the floor, it puts a lot of pressure on him," Williams said, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "So I got to figure that out."
Paul had eight points, six assists, and five boards in 25 minutes of action at the time of his departure. The 37-year-old has struggled to stay healthy over the past two seasons. He missed 14 games earlier in the campaign due to a heel injury.
Devin Booker on Chris Paul: "All we can do is hope he has a speedy recovery. We're going to be behind him. We're going to hold it down while he is out -- or if he's out – and just take it from there."
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 2, 2023
The Suns were limited to 19.4% shooting from deep and 40% overall.
The series now shifts to Phoenix on Friday with the Nuggets up 2-0. The Suns have never won a best-of-seven playoff series after dropping the first two games.