Suns guard Chris Paul scored a season-high 37 points, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was ejected in the third quarter and Phoenix outlasted Denver 125-118 on Sunday, completing a series sweep and advancing to the Western Conference finals.
Officials gave Jokic a Flagrant 2 foul and automatic ejection for a hard foul on Suns guard Cameron Payne with 3:52 to play in the third quarter. After missing a jumper that was rebounded by Phoenix, Jokic, attempting to slap the basketball away from Payne, made contact with Payne's face as he swung his arm down. Following a review, officials assessed the Flagrant 2.
"At replay review we saw windup, impact, and follow through, which lead to unnecessary and excessive contact above the shoulders and also into the face," crew chief David Guthrie said after the game.
"I wanted to change the rhythm of the game," Jokic said of being ejected. "I tried to make a hard foul. Did I hit him or I did I not hit him? I don't know. I say sorry if I did because I did not want to hit him in the head or injure him."
Jokic and Suns guard Devin Booker were both assessed technical fouls after getting into a face-to-face confrontation following Jokic's hard foul. The two had to be separated.
Phoenix, leading by eight at the time of Jokic's ejection, maintained its lead in the fourth behind Paul, who made 14 of 19 shots from the field. Booker added 34 points and 11 rebounds, and the two totaled 71 points for the Suns.
Paul, who injured his shoulder in the first round, finished the series with 41 assists to just five turnovers.
"A couple of years ago they were writing me off," Paul said. "This ain't about me. It's about us."
Jokic, who was named NBA MVP last week, had 22 points and 11 rebounds in 28 minutes Sunday.
The Suns have won seven straight playoff games, stretching back to Game 4 in the first round against the Lakers. They will face either the Utah Jazz or the Los Angeles Clippers in the next round. The Jazz, who finished with the best record in the Western Conference, currently lead the Clippers 2-1 in their series.
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June 14, 2021 at 09:50AM
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Suns, Chris Paul complete sweep of Nuggets as Nikola Jokic ejected - The Athletic
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