No rest for the weary. You can point to the back-to-back and say that’s why Denver walked away with the [win on Saturday night](/suns-game-previews/93721/game-recap-suns-come-up-short-once-again-lose-back-to-back). There’s some truth in that. The legs got heavy in the second half, and the three-point shot turned cold. They finished 5-of-21 from deep (24%). Denver finished 12-of-22 (55%).
You saw the gap. You felt why the Nuggets are 14-5 with title aspirations. There is an intelligence in that way they play.
Fatigue plays a role, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Denver played the night before too, falling to San Antonio. The real difference comes from talent. Denver is further along. They know who they are, they execute, they punish mistakes. Phoenix plays with heart, they stay in fights, they punch above their weight. There’s pride in that, but there’s a ceiling for now. Beating teams like Denver night after night requires more than grit.
Blame whatever you want for the 18-point loss. When the dust settles, Denver showed for the second time this season why they’re one of the teams everyone else is chasing. The Suns will scrap. The Suns will battle. The Suns will cause problems. But to beat an MVP-level player surrounded by shooters firing the way Denver has all year, you have to play perfect basketball. Back to back or not.
Add another tick mark for CG12, as his career high in points and three-pointers made against the Thunder moves him up the Bright Side Baller standings.
Game 21 against the Nuggets. Here are your nominees:
**Dillon Brooks**
27 points (10-of-18 FG, 2-of-6 3PT, 5-of-6 FT), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 0 blocks, -16 +/-
**Devin Booker**
24 points (5-of-11 FG, 0-of-4 3PT, 14-of-15 FT), 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 0 blocks, -16 +/-
**Royce O’Neale**
15 points (6-of-13 FG, 3-of-10 3PT), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 0 turnovers, 0 blocks, -13 +/-
**Collin Gillespie**
12 points (4-of-11 FG, 4-of-8 3PT), 0 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 block, -23 +/-
**Oso Ighodaro**
8 points (4-of-4 FG), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 0 blocks, -1 +/-
**Jordan Goodwin**
8 points (3-of-7 FG, 2-of-3 3PT), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, 0 blocks, -8 +/-
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