Nuggets dominate Suns in Phoenix, clinch trip to Western Conference finals

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Nikola Jokić scored 32 points in another triple-double and Jamal Murray added 26 as the Denver Nuggets beat the short-handed Phoenix Suns 125-100 in Game 6 on Thursday night, advancing the team to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2020.

Denver’s series victory comes two seasons after the Nuggets were embarrassed in a second-round postseason sweep by the Suns. This time, it was the Suns getting blown out on their home floor to end the season for the second straight year.

The Nuggets will play in the conference finals for the first time since they lost to the Lakers in five games in the Florida bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have never reached the NBA Finals.

The top-seeded Nuggets used a 23-2 run during the latter part of the first quarter to take a 44-26 lead and never looked back. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — averaging 9.5 points in the playoffs — scored 17 in the first quarter while Jokić added 14.

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Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets high-fives Aaron Gordon #50 during the second quarter in game six of the Western Conference Semifinal Playoffs against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on May 11, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona.  (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Caldwell-Pope finished with 21 points. Jokić shot 13 of 18 from the field and added 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

Denver's offensive onslaught continued in the second as the lead grew to 81-51 by halftime, leading to boos from Suns fans as players made their way to the locker room. The second half was essentially an afterthought.

Cameron Payne scored 31 points for Phoenix, hitting 7 of 9