Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. led the Nuggets to victory over the Suns

The Nuggets have been adept at finding ways to win games lately, but they haven’t played much winning basketball.

They put up a much more convincing testament on Monday night with a 117-90 win over the Phoenix Suns. With a rare halftime lead, albeit a narrow one at 55-51, Denver improved to 5-0 for the second consecutive game this season by pulling away 45-28 in the third quarter at Ball Arena.

Phoenix’s 90 points were the fewest the Nuggets (16-11) have allowed this season.

“I thought it was one of our best defensive performances from start to finish,” coach Michael Malone said.

Twenty-four hours earlier, they needed overtime to escape New Orleans with a win that wasn’t particularly impressive. Jamal Murray left with an encouraging 27 points and a sprained right ankle that slowed his momentum. He sat out Monday without a warm-up, but a return on Christmas Day in Phoenix is ​​possible.

“On the flight back we were hoping things would get better and the swelling would go down,” Malone said. “(The ankle) was treated all night this morning but obviously didn’t respond the way we had hoped.”

That meant an assertive Michael Porter Jr. was mandatory at home. He had remained quiet along the way, averaging just 11.7 points in the three games. By the end of the first quarter against Phoenix, he had 14 points and shot 6 for 7, with his only miss coming when the ball was handed to him at the end of the shot clock. Despite a drop in points, he continued to assert himself during a productive period with the second unit. His most impressive moment of the night might have been his pass past Ryan Dunn – no shabby defender – for an assist to DeAndre Jordan in the box.

Porter finished the game with 24 points on 12 shots, plus six rebounds and four assists. He and Jokic combined for a 22-for-29 shooting night, with Jokic leading all scorers with 32. His 3-point percentage this season is back up to a league-leading 51.4% after a 4-for-6 performance.

“Michael and Nikola carried us in the first half,” Malone said. “And then I think a lot of guys helped in the second half.”

An alarming image only because it’s so rare: Jokic holding his left ankle in the second quarter, wincing after falling heavily while being fouled by his former teammate Jusuf Nurkic. But he was able to get up, knock down the free throws and keep playing. It was Nurkic’s third foul. By half-time he had already scored four points thanks to an illegal screening, which he unsuccessfully managed to challenge by lobbying his bench.

With Murray absent, Jalen Pickett also took the opportunity to support Russell Westbrook and scored 11 points and eight assists. His poise and two-way energy helped extend the lead in the second quarter. He contributed an excellent block against a center and sank a turn-around 3-pointer in the corner, causing the Nuggets’ bench to explode in garbage time. They had a lot to celebrate. Jokic and Co. had received an early Christmas present from their bench: the luxury of resting in the fourth quarter while Hunter Tyson threw down thunderous dunks.