Denver Nuggets (59-31) vs. Phoenix Suns (50-40)
May 7, 2023 8:00 pm EDT
The Line: Phoenix Suns -2.5; Over/Under: +225.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns duke it out in Game 4 at the Footprint Center on Sunday night.
The Denver Nuggets will be looking to bounce back in this one after getting beaten by the Suns in a 121-114 road loss in Game 3 on Friday. Jamal Murray led the way with 32 points, six rebounds and five assists, Nikola Jokic racked up a triple-double of 30 points with 17 rebounds and 17 assists, while Michael Porter Jr. chipped in with 20 points and 12 rebounds. As a team, the Nuggets shot 44 percent from the field and 10 of 30 from the 3-point line as they exploded for 36 points in the third quarter to rally all the way back from an early 16-point deficit, only to come up short in the fourth quarter as they had no answer for the Suns’ duo of Booker and Durant.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns will be breathing a major sigh of relief after outlasting the Nuggets in a 121-114 win in Game 3. Devin Booker led the way with a game-high 47 points, six rebounds and nine assists on 20 of 25 shooting, Kevin Durant added 39 points, nine rebounds and eight assists while no other player scored more than seven points. As a team, the Suns shot 50 percent from the field and nine of 28 from the 3-point line as they looked to be in trouble when they blew a 16-point lead, but they didn’t panic and leaned heavily on Booker who delivered in the fourth quarter to carry the Suns over the line.
Looking at the betting trends, the Nuggets are 2-5 ATS in their last seven Conference Semifinals games and 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games against a team with a winning record. The Suns are 1-4 ATS in their last five Conference Semifinals games and 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a win.
Head to head, the over is 12-4 in the last 16 meetings in Phoenix and the Nuggets are 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings overall. The Nuggets will be disappointed that they didn’t take a 3-0 series lead, but they will take some confidence from the fact that they still almost beat the Suns despite a combined 86 points from Booker and Durant. The Suns will again be missing Chris Paul, but they definitely play at a faster tempo with Cameron Payne in the starting lineup and I think they can earn another narrow win if Booker has another monster game.
