Jamal Murray scored 39 points and made seven 3-pointers, Christian Braun had 29 points and a career-high seven 3-pointers, and the Denver Nuggets opened NBA Cup play with a 127-120 victory over the host Phoenix Suns on Friday.
Nikola Jokic had 18 points and 10 assists and finished three rebounds short of his second consecutive triple-double for the Nuggets, who swept their two-game trip. Jokic recorded his 200th career regular-season triple-double in a win at New Orleans on Wednesday.
Miles Bridges scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Devin Booker added 20 points for the Suns, who used a 7-0 run to pull within 123-117 with 35.4 seconds remaining but got no closer.
Booker, playing on his 30th birthday, was 7 of 19 from the field. He had scored just three points in a loss at Oklahoma City on Monday. Collin Gillespie added 16 points and 10 assists for Phoenix, which has lost three of its first four games.
The Suns’ Dillon Brooks scored a season-high 22 points and made four 3-pointers before being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected with 8:05 remaining in the third quarter. The Nuggets led 84-76 at the time.
Brooks extended his right leg and kicked Murray in the groin while attempting a field goal from the left baseline.
The teams combined to make 38 3-pointers. The Nuggets shot 20 of 38 (52.6%) from beyond the arc, while the Suns were 18 of 42 (42.9%).
Braun was 7 of 9 from 3-point range, making all six of his first-half attempts. Murray also was 7 of 9. Aaron Gordon and Cam Johnson made two 3-pointers apiece. Brooks was 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, while Gillespie was 4 of 8.
Johnson had 12 points and 10 rebounds in his return after missing the previous three games with a sprained ankle.
The Nuggets have won six straight games in the series.
Murray, who scored 28 points in the second half, had 15 in the third quarter, when the Nuggets pushed their lead to 103-90 on Jokic’s short jumper. Braun’s seventh 3-pointer gave Denver a 121-110 lead with 2:20 remaining.
The Suns pulled within six before Murray made two free throws to give Denver a 125-117 lead with 13.4 seconds left. Murray also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists.
