They became the first set of teammates to post 25-point, 10-assist games in the NBA Finals since Magic Johnson and James Worthy first did it for the Lakers in 1987. The stat line of 27 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists paced the Nuggets, as did Jamal Murray who scored 26 points and had 10 assists. Nikola Jokic, Denver's two-time MVP, produced a masterful performance, a triple-double, in his NBA Finals debut. The Nuggets, who completed their sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers on May 22, were off for nine days before Thursday's Game 1 against the Miami Heat. However, he is making his presence felt with his playmaking, averaging seven assists over his past three games.The Denver Nuggets opened the NBA Finals with a 104-93 win in the franchise's first appearance in the championship round. Russell is coming off a 15-point performance on Wednesday while playing 40 minutes for the first time since joining the club, and has averaged just 12.5 points over his past four games. The talented 27-year-old remains a daily fixture on the injury report as he continues to overcome soreness in his foot. Keys to Victory: Lakersĭ’Angelo Russell has been slowly working his way back into form after missing some time late last month due to injury. And both he and big man Bismack Biyombo will likely be called on to play bigger roles in a meaningless game for Phoenix. Veteran forward Torrey Craig has played at least 22 minutes in each pf the past two games, averaging 13 points. That opens the door for a pair of veterans who have been steady in the sixth-man role to see some additional time on the floor. With Durant, Paul, and Booker having all missed time to injury this season, they are likely to see little if any action in the back half of games played on consecutive nights. With little to play for after clinching fourth place in the West, expect Friday night’s contest to be a disappointment for Suns’ funs hoping to capture a glimpse of the team’s biggest stars in action. James drained a team-high 33 points on Wednesday, and has averaged 35 over his past two outings. LeBron James has continued to perform despite dealing with a nagging foot injury that once again has him listed as questionable for Friday. That should provide plenty of motivation that has played some of its best ball down the stretch, averaging almost 121 points per game during a 7-2 run that features wins in three of four home dates. The club goes into Friday’s action deadlocked with New Orleans and just one game up on Minnesota. In addition to pursuing a spot among the top six in the standings, the Lakers enter the final weekend of the NBA regular season in need of wins just to stay ahead of the teams pursuing them for play-in tournament positioning. However, head coach Monty Williams has suggested that his stars could be in for a quiet night on Friday, raising the possibility they could sit after recess. Chris Paul and Devin Booker also each played 37 minutes in the contest. Kevin Durant racked up a team-high 29 points while also leading the squad with 41 minutes of playing time. Sporting just a one-point lead at the half, the Suns were unable to take the opportunity to rest their own stars in the wake of clinching fourth place with Tuesday’s 115-94 of San Antonio. The Suns faced a surprisingly stiff challenge from a Nuggets lineup missing Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on Thursday night. The victory extended the Suns’ current win streak to seven games, during which they have locked themselves into a fourth-place finish in the West. The Suns hit the court for the second time in as many nights after eking out a narrow 119-115 win over a Denver Nuggets squad that sat most of their regulars. The Lakers missed a golden opportunity to move above the line in the West, with Wednesday’s 125-118 loss to the LA Clippers, and remain one game back of both LA and Golden State heading into Friday’s action. The Los Angeles Lakers (41-39 SU, 39-39-2 ATS) will make another bid to crack the top six in the Western Conference standings on Friday, when they open their final home stand of the season with a visit from the red-hot Phoenix Suns (45-35, 41-37-2). Video Poker Guide: Play the Best Online Video Poker Games.
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