110
Nov. 12, 2012
100
US Airways Center
7
Number of Suns players who reached double figures in scoring against Denver.
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Suns Spread the Wealth, Defeat Denver
By: Stefan Swiat, Suns.com
On Military Night at US Airways Center, the Suns proved that you can lose the first-quarter battle, but that doesn’t mean you will lose the war. After trailing by double digits once again, the Suns mounted an impressive counterattack that propelled them to a 110-100 victory over the visiting Nuggets.
It was an uplifting victory for the Suns, who defeated a Nuggets team that came in on a red-hot four-game winning streak. The win also snapped a six-game losing streak to Denver.
For the seventh time in eight games, the Suns trailed by double digits, falling behind by 10 in the first period. Despite giving up 58-percent shooting and shooting 33 percent from the floor in the quarter, Suns point guard Goran Dragic kept it close by shooting 3-of-4 from the field and scoring 10 of his game-high 21 points in the period.
“I was knocking down shots and good on defense,” Dragic said. “The bench and all the players played well tonight. We had a bunch of guys with more than 10 points and when everybody plays like that, it’s much easier for us.”
All year the Suns players have emphasized the importance of having balance on the offensive end. Phoenix put seven player in double figures, with Shannon Brown (19 points), Michael Beasley (16), Jared Dudley (15), Markieff Morris (13), Luis Scola (12) and Marcin Gortat (12), all contributing.
Facing the best rebounding team in the league, the Suns were up for the challenge, losing the battle of the boards by only three.
“We need to continue to execute our game plan to the fullest from the beginning,” Brown said. “Whatever the slow start is about, I think we’ll get it together though.”
Brown continues to display the hot hand, especially down the stretch, scoring eight of his 19 in the final period. The 6-3 high flyer has thrived against the Nuggets, scoring a team-high 28 against them the last time the two clubs met.
The key statistic working in the Suns’ favor Monday was their ability to make Denver cough up the ball. The Nuggets committed nine more turnovers, allowing the Suns to collect eight more points off turnovers.
The Suns also tallied nine more second-chance points, helping them march to their third-straight home victory. It was the 13th time in 15 tries that the Nuggets fell in Phoenix.
The Suns look for their fourth consecutive home victory against the Bulls on Wednesday.
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