Key Takeaways From Suns-Nuggets Christmas Day Game
The first four games on Christmas each had their exciting moments, but the fifth and final game between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets was one of the best games of the 2022-23 NBA season thus far!
Devin Booker made his return from a groin injury that forced him to sit the last three games for the Suns, but after just four minutes, he left the floor due to this injury and did not return.
As a result, Phoenix was left scrambling for answers on the offensive-end of the floor and their prayers were heard by Damion Lee and Landry Shamet, who stepped up once again off-the-bench, combining for 49 points on 11-22 shooting from three-point range.
On the other side of things, the reigning two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has been lighting things up and this game against Phoenix was no different, as he ended up with 41 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in 44 total minutes!
Jokic and the Nuggets have been rolling as of late and while the Suns did force overtime against them, Denver held on to pick up their seventh victory in their last eight games.
The Nuggets now sit alone atop of the Western Conference standings for the time being and with Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and others healthy, this team has a chance to claim the 1-seed inthe West this season and who knows, maybe they could go on a magical run in the postseason!
The Suns and Nuggets delivered us a great present on Christmas Day and here are the main takeaways from this game.
Aaron Gordon Has Won The Dunk Of The Year Award
If you did not stay up on Christmas to watch the Nuggets and Suns in overtime, you missed the best dunk of this season and quite possibly, one of the best dunks that has ever been thrown down in overtime in NBA history!
With 27 seconds left in overtime leading by one point, Aaron Gordon pushed the ball ahead of the Nuggets in a 2-on-1 transition break and he threw down a massive one-handed dunk over Suns’ Landry Shamet that you would only tend to see in a dunk contest!
I mean, this is a ridiculous dunk to attempt in the middle of a game, yet alone in overtime with your team leading by just one point!
Aaron Gordon absolutely posterized Shamet and not only does he need to get that dunk framed in his house, but the referee who blew the whistle for a charge needs to usher Gordon a hand-written apology note. The good news though is that this call was reviewed and reversed so the dunk of all dunks was counted.
There really is not much more to say about this dunk than, “wow.”
Throwing down dunks all night long and putting together his own highlight reel from this game against Phoenix, Aaron Gordon continues to prove his worth to the Denver Nuggets.
These Two Teams Will Meet In The Postseason
It just seems destined right?
Two teams who are fighting to prove their championship relevance in the Western Conference, the Suns and Nuggets have begun to create a great rivalry that really does not get as much attention as it deserves.
Phoenix and Denver just match up so well against one another and quite honestly, when they are both at full-strength, every game they play will likely come down to one made free-throw or one extra made shot.
They both have three-point shooters, they both have elite-level rebounders and most importantly, the Suns and Nuggets both have MVP-caliber players leading them.
The last time these two teams met in the playoffs was in 2021, but this year, they are both real title contenders in the West.
It will not be shocking to see either team in the Western Conference Finals this season and at the end of the day, they just seem to be on a collision course with one another.
Phoenix and Denver are so evenly matched and if every game is going to be like this overtime one from Christmas, sign me up!
Landry Shamet And Damion Lee Open Up Phoenix’s Offense Tremendously
The biggest question mark surrounding the Phoenix Suns revolves around their depth and who will step up around Chris Paul and Devin Booker.
Well, so far the answer seems very clear, as Damion Lee and Landry Shamet have been red-hot as of late and they are both two of the better three-point shooters in the league right now.
On the year, Lee ranks tied for first in the league in three-point shooting at 48.9 percent and Shamet is currently on the cusp of being inside the Top-50, shooting 38.8 percent from long-range.
Over his last four games though, Shamet is shooting 44 percent from deep and he made a total of seven threes off-the-bench against Denver on Sunday night.
These two are not the biggest names, nor will they be high-scoring producers every night, but Damion Lee and Landry Shamet are both experienced players in this league and they understand their roles of being spot-up shooters alongside Chris Paul, Devin Booker and the rest of the Suns.
Talking about Lee, his experience with the Golden State Warriors is extremely important to the Suns, as he knows what it takes to win a championship and he held an important bench role with them for years. Finally having the chance to prove his worth as a key shooting weapon off-the-bench, Lee is pretty much playing with a chip on his shoulder, which makes him dangerous.
Phoenix will need to count on production from both Lee and Shamet the rest of the season if they are to live up to the hype of being title contenders in the Western Conference.
Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!
Streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Be on the lookout for a new episodes every Friday.
