Somers: Hey, Nuggets, your trip to Phoenix could have been worse. At least the weather cooperated
Nuggets #Nuggets
Believe it or not, the Denver Nuggets could have had a less enjoyable time in Phoenix than they did the last few days. Temperatures could have hit 117 or so, which they are expected to do next week.
Otherwise, it was an all-around miserable experience for the Suns opponent in the Western Conference semifinals. The Nuggets returned home Wednesday, down 2-0, having lost Monday night by 13 points and Wednesday night by 25.
The series isn’t over, but it will take something catastrophic happening to the Suns, or the Nuggets discovering answers to myriad puzzles the Suns create, or the Suns suddenly becoming unlike the team we’ve watched all season.
Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.
Anything’s possible, I guess.
Denver could find a way to make a three pointer. Or get to the free-throw line.
Suns coach Monty Williams might finally make a wrong move or two with personnel or strategy. Or maybe he will say, “you know guys, that ‘let it fly’ lecture I gave you midway through the Lakers’ series? Forget that. Play hesitant and scared. And you know how I say defense travels? Well, let’s not even pack if for the trip to Denver.’”
Maybe Jae Crowder goes soft, Chris Paul won’t be able to make people look foolish off the dribble and will start to make a few turnovers. Maybe Deandre Ayton’s attention wanders. Maybe Devin Booker goes cold.
A lot of bad things have to come together for the Suns not to wrap this one up fairly quickly and begin preparing for the winner of the Jazz-Clippers series.
The Suns, and probably many of their fans, don’t want to hear such talk, of course. But is anyone who watched the two games this week not thinking that?
Did the Nuggets provide even one indication they can deal with the Suns? Was there one thing they did that makes you go, “yep, that’s something they can build upon?”
No, they did not.
Reach Kent Somers at Kent.Somers@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @kentsomers.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Somers: Hey, Nuggets, your trip to Phoenix could have been worse. At least the weather cooperated