The Nuggets vs Suns continue their four-game homestand on March 24 as they take on the Denver Nuggets at Mortgage Matchup Center. The game is set to begin at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
Phoenix (40-32) ended a five-game losing streak—their longest of the season—with a 120-98 win over the Toronto Raptors on March 22 during the second game of a back-to-back. Meanwhile, Denver (44-28) is coming off a strong 128-112 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
Nuggets close half strong, take lead
Royce O’Neale is listed as probable for the Suns due to left knee soreness after missing the previous three games. Grayson Allen remains questionable with ongoing knee management. Several players—Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams, Haywood Highsmith, and Amir Coffey—have been ruled out due to various injuries. For Denver, Peyton Watson will not play because of a right hamstring issue.
The Suns will face three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who is averaging a triple-double this season with 28 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 10.6 assists per game. In two previous matchups against Phoenix, Jokic has posted 20 points per game on an impressive 80% shooting, along with 12.5 assists and 11.5 rebounds.
Allen, O’Neale available vs. Nuggets
Denver currently holds a 2-0 edge in the season series, making this their final regular-season meeting. The Nuggets vs Suns sit fourth in the Western Conference, four nuggets vs suns games ahead of the seventh-place Suns. With 10 games left, Phoenix trails the Houston Rockets by 3½ games for sixth place and the Minnesota Timberwolves by four games for fifth, although the Suns own the tiebreaker over Minnesota. Houston leads the season series against Phoenix 3-0, with one final matchup set for April 7, which will mark Kevin Durant’s return.
In the Nuggets vs Suns game, Denver closed the second quarter with a 21-8 run to take a 67-57 lead at halftime. Jokic nearly recorded a triple-double by the break, tallying 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. Jalen Green led Phoenix with 14 points, while Devin Booker struggled, scoring only seven on limited attempts. The Suns’ shooting dropped significantly, going from 56% in the first quarter to just 27.3% in the second…Read more
Suns injury update on Williams, Dunn
Both Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale returned to action for this matchup, providing a boost to the Suns, who had been dealing with a short rotation. O’Neale is back in the starting lineup alongside Collin Gillespie, Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Oso Ighodaro after missing three games. Allen, who had been sidelined for four games, is averaging a career-best 17.2 points per Nuggets vs Suns game.
Denver’s starting lineup includes Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, former Suns forward Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic.
Additionally, Phoenix forward Ryan Dunn was ruled out late due to right groin soreness after scoring 12 points in each of his previous two games. Head coach Jordan Ott noted that Mark Williams has not yet participated in full 5-on-5 practice, and the team wants to evaluate him in that setting before clearing him to return. Williams has missed the last 11 games, during which the Suns have gone 5-6…Read more
