Canada's Jamal Murray scores 34 points as Nuggets cruise past Suns in Game 1

Jamal Murray scored 34 points, hitting six of Denver's 16 three-pointers, and the Nuggets sprinted past the visiting Phoenix Suns 125-107 on Saturday night in Game 1 of their second-round series.

Reigning back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokic had 24 points and 19 rebounds, while Aaron Gordon finished with 23 points for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. But this was the Murray Show, where he went six of 10 from three-point land and frequently exhorted for more noise from the already raucous crowd.

Kevin Durant scored 29 points for the Suns, with Devin Booker adding 27 and Chris Paul 11. Booker averaged 37.2 points in a first-round series win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

This is a different sort of playoff series than two years ago, when the Suns swept the Nuggets in the second round. Back then, Denver was without Murray after he tore his ACL.

Now healthy, the Kitchener, Ont., native Murray is flashing his 2020 form inside the NBA bubble that helped Denver advance to the Western Conference finals.

Murray had the play of the night when he stole a pass, split defenders Paul and Durant at top speed and knocked in a layup high off the glass. It brought the capacity crowd to its feet.

JAMAL TAKING OVER IN THE FOURTH