Jamal Murray and Christian Braun put Denver on their backs Friday night, and the Nuggets walked out of Phoenix with a 127-120 win in their first NBA Cup game of the season.
Murray poured in 39 points, Braun added a career-high 31, and Denver’s starting backcourt kept answering every Suns push until the Nuggets finally finished the job. Phoenix never let it get comfortable, with Colin Gillespie, Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks all making life difficult before Brooks was thrown out of the game. Still, Denver got the result it needed: its first Cup victory and its first move above .500 this season.
The game opened with Denver looking a little sluggish on offense, but Cameron Johnson helped jump-start a brief Nuggets run by knocking down a three, forcing a turnover and hitting a mid-range jumper. Phoenix had the early edge from there, but Denver stayed close by working the offensive glass and creating extra chances.
Braun then hit back-to-back threes to give the Nuggets their first lead just before the halfway point of the opening quarter. Nikola Jokic kept Denver in front with his mid-range game, while Brooks carried much of the Suns’ scoring early by hitting nearly everything he put up.
Jokic and Braun kept Denver afloat late in the period, but Gillespie and Luke Kennard helped Phoenix close the first quarter on top, 37-32.
The second quarter followed a similar script at first: slow scoring, plenty of missed shots and not much separation. Each team hit a three, then the game bogged down for a couple of minutes before Booker snapped the lull with a triple that put Phoenix ahead by six.
Denver answered through Aaron Gordon and stayed within reach, then Johnson buried a fastbreak three to tie it at 51 and force a Suns timeout with just under six minutes left in the half. The three-point barrage kept rolling from both sides, but Denver still couldn’t get enough stops to pull away.
Braun stayed hot, Booker and Gillespie kept firing, and the Nuggets took a 71-67 lead into halftime.
Murray took over early in the third quarter and helped Denver keep control even as Phoenix kept scoring at the other end. The turning point came when Brooks kicked out on a jumper and caught Murray in the family jewels.
After a review, officials ruled the kickout intentional and ejected Brooks. That took some of the edge off Phoenix’s attack, and Denver held a near double-digit cushion for a stretch.
The Suns did chip away again, though, until Murray answered with a four-point play to stop the run. Denver still couldn’t fully shake free, but Trevon Brazile helped steady things and the Nuggets carried a 103-93 lead into the fourth.
Phoenix made one last push when Denver went cold to start the final period. The Nuggets went more than two minutes without scoring, Gillespie kept causing problems, and the Suns trimmed the margin to five.
Murray finally got Denver’s first points of the quarter with a three just before the nine-minute mark, but the Nuggets still weren’t getting much help around him. Gordon had a bucket, and that was about it offensively for Denver while Booker kept dragging Phoenix back into it.
A Booker three cut the lead to six with a little more than seven minutes left, and David Adelman called timeout. The Nuggets still had to grind through a messy finish, but their defense tightened late, Braun drilled another corner three to push the lead to 11 with two minutes remaining, and Denver did enough at the line to close out the 127-120 win.
The backcourt was the story all night. Braun looked sharp from deep and played like the version of himself Denver has been waiting for, while Murray looked nothing like the player who managed just six points in the opener. When Murray is rolling like this, Denver looks awfully hard to deal with.
In Other News...
Peyton Watson Is Making Denver's Offseason Choice Look Smarter
When Denver moved Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade after contract talks stalled, it was the kind of decision that could have looked risky if the wrong side of the deal got the better end. A player who had flashed enough last season to make the Nuggets think twice was suddenly in Cleveland, and the question for Denver became whether the roster could absorb the loss without creating another hole on the wing.
So far, the early returns have made the Nuggets offseason pivot look more sensible. Watson has not found the same rhythm from deep with the Cavaliers that he showed in Denver, while rookie Trevon Brazile has stepped into a similar role and given the Nuggets a cheaper option to develop. It is still early, but Denver has reason to feel better about the way it handled the situation. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets May Have Found The Frontcourt Defender They Desperately Needed
Trevon Brazile has given the Nuggets something they have been searching for early this season: a frontcourt defender who can change possessions with length, activity and athleticism. The rookie has already stood out in Denvers recent games, including a strong showing against the New Orleans Pelicans, where his presence helped make life harder for opposing shooters and added a different kind of energy to the rotation.
What has made Brazile especially intriguing is how quickly his defense has translated to the NBA level. He has been limiting opponents efficiency and giving Denver a sturdier look on that end of the floor, which matters for a team trying to build consistency around its bigger lineups. The bigger question now is whether this early impact is the start of a real role, or just the first glimpse of what he can become. [Read more 🡒]
Christian Braun Is Starting To Quiet A Big Nuggets Concern
Christian Brauns early-season jump is starting to ease one of the Nuggets quieter concerns. After working back from injury, he has looked more active on both ends, giving Denver the kind of perimeter energy it needs while also showing signs that his offense is expanding beyond the basics. The defensive impact has been especially noticeable, with Braun averaging 2.3 steals per game and looking more comfortable sliding into the role the team envisioned for him.
The offensive growth matters just as much for a roster that needs reliable two-way production around its stars. Braun has shown more variety in how he scores, including a willingness to get to mid-range spots and make plays for others, which helps explain why his recent form has stood out. If this is the version of Braun Denver gets consistently, it goes a long way toward making his contract look like a smart bet rather than a lingering question. [Read more 🡒]