Nuggets vs. Suns: Jamal Murray Scores 39, Christian Braun Adds 31 in 127-120 NBA Cup Win

Phoenix finally had Denver's attention. An 8-0 run stretching across the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth had turned a 13-point Nuggets lead into 103-98, and Phoenix suddenly had life. Jamal Murray responded the way elite shooters respond to pressure. He pulled up from 25 feet. Less than two minutes later, he pulled up from 29.

The Denver Nuggets beat the Phoenix Suns 127-120 on Friday night at Mortgage Matchup Center in NBA Cup group play, with Murray piling up 39 points and Christian Braun pouring in 31. Denver made 20 of its 37 3-point attempts, the kind of shooting night that makes an opposing coach stare at the ceiling and question the geometry of the court.

A Shootout From the Jump

Nobody played much defense early, and nobody seemed to mind. Dillon Brooks came out scorching for Phoenix, Collin Gillespie and Luke Kennard knocked down late 3s, and the Suns led 37-32 after one.

Denver answered with Braun, who spent the first half shooting like a man who had been told the rim was twice its normal size. He made all six of his 3-point attempts before the break and scored 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting, per the AP. NBA.com noted he had already set a career high for 3-pointers in a game by halftime. The second quarter turned into a 3-point trading session between Murray and Braun on one side and Brooks and Devin Booker on the other, and an 8-0 Nuggets burst, finished by a Trevon Brazile alley-oop that Braun set up, flipped a 54-51 deficit into a 59-54 lead.

Brooks kept Phoenix within striking distance, scoring 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting before halftime, but Braun's final 3 of the half and a Murray technical free throw sent Denver to the locker room up 71-67. The Nuggets shot 13 of 20 from deep in the first half, according to the AP. That is a 65% clip from 3. In a real game.

Murray Heats Up, Brooks Heads Out

The third quarter is where Murray took over. He hit three 3-pointers in the first four minutes after halftime, the last from 27 feet, to push Denver ahead 84-76.

Then the game took a turn nobody needed. Coming out of a Phoenix timeout, Brooks was whistled for a flagrant 2 and ejected after he kicked Murray on a turnaround jumper, according to the AP. Brooks left with 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting in only 21 minutes, which is to say Phoenix lost its hottest scorer at the exact moment it most needed him.

Denver did not waste the opening. Braun scored moments later off a steal by Nikola Jokic, who then started carving up the Phoenix defense, and the lead grew to 103-90 on a Jokic floater late in the quarter. The Nuggets took a 103-93 lead into the fourth.

Phoenix's final real punch came next. Kennard drew three free throws on a 3-point attempt, Miles Bridges hit two more, and Gillespie's 3 made it 103-98 with 10:03 left. That is when Murray hit his 25-footer, then a 29-footer, then a step-back, then three free throws after getting fouled behind the arc. Jokic's 16-footer made it 118-107, and Braun's 3 with 2:20 left put Denver up 121-110. Phoenix scored a flurry of late baskets, including a Jordan Goodwin step-back 3 with 9.7 seconds left, but the Suns never got closer than two possessions down the stretch.

Murray and Braun, the Mile High Splash Brothers

Murray's line was absurd: 39 points on 10-of-18 shooting, 7 of 9 from deep, 12 of 15 at the line, eight rebounds and five assists. He scored 28 after halftime, per the AP. NBA.com noted it was his fifth career game with at least 35 points, five rebounds, five assists and seven 3s, more such games than every other player in Nuggets history combined. When he is hunting his shot like this, Denver's offense becomes a pick-your-poison menu with no good options.

Braun was the surprise headliner, scoring 31 on 11-of-16 shooting, going 7 of 9 from deep and adding three steals. He cooled off in the second half, but his first-half barrage is the reason Phoenix never got to run away with its hot start.

Then there is Jokic, a three-time MVP who looked perfectly happy playing point guard for two flamethrowers. He finished with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting, 10 assists, seven rebounds and three steals, and several of those assists set up Murray and Braun 3s. All five Denver starters reached double figures, with Aaron Gordon adding 15 and Cameron Johnson 12.

For Phoenix, Bridges was excellent with 24 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Booker, on his 30th birthday, scored 20 but needed 19 shots and picked up five fouls. Gillespie was a spark off the bench with 16 points, 10 assists and four steals. Jalen Green struggled to two points on 1-of-6 shooting.

The Math From Downtown

• 20 of 37: Denver from 3-point range, good for 54%.
• 23-10: Made free throws, Nuggets, who got to the line 30 times to Phoenix's 11.
• 28-16: Points off turnovers, Phoenix, which feasted on Denver's 19 giveaways.
• 50-32: Phoenix's edge in the paint, the one battle the Suns won convincingly.
• 11: Lead changes, every one of them in a chaotic first half.

Back-to-Back Wins, Finally

Denver improves to 3-2 overall and 2-1 on the road, and this was the first time the Nuggets have won consecutive games this season, per the AP. The AP also noted Denver has now won six straight in this series, a run that began on Christmas Day in 2024. A road win in an NBA Cup group game is a nice bonus, and a night where Murray and Braun combine for 70 points while Jokic plays facilitator is a template that should scare the rest of the West. The Nuggets host Portland on Monday night.

Phoenix drops to 1-3 overall and 1-1 at home. The Suns shot 49% from the field, piled up 34 assists, dominated the paint and won the turnover battle, and it still was not enough because Denver kept raining 3s. Losing Brooks in the third did not help, either. Phoenix visits Golden State on Monday night.

Party Crashers

Birthday parties are supposed to end with candles. Booker's ended with Denver lighting up 20 of them from behind the arc, most of them courtesy of Murray and Braun. Happy 30th, Devin. The Nuggets brought their own fireworks.

Stats from the official box score and play-by-play via ESPN. Ejection details, series history and milestone notes as reported by the Associated Press and NBA.com.