PHOENIX SUNS

Suns come out firing, shoot 71% in 1st quarter of Game 3 vs. Nuggets

Jun 11, 2021, 8:06 PM | Updated: 9:48 pm

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, front left, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets center Nikola...

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, front left, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, defends in the first half of Game 3 of an NBA second-round playoff series Friday, June 11, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

The Phoenix Suns came out firing against the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals on Friday night.

The Suns won the contest at Ball Arena in the Mile High City 116-102 to take a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Phoenix outscored Denver 37-27 in the first quarter, marking the most points the Suns have scored in the opening period of any game this postseason.

The Suns did so by shooting a whopping 71% from the floor compared to 44% for the Nuggets in the first 12 minutes of the contest.

Phoenix finished the game shooting 43-of-81 (53.1%).

All-Star guard Devin Booker led the way for Phoenix with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting to go along with three assists while also being the only Sun to play the entirety of the first quarter.

He finished the first game with a tally of 28 points on 11-of-23 shooting (47.8%) and four assists.

Booker was single-handedly beating the Nuggets 7-6 at one point just four minutes into the contest.

Suns forward Jae Crowder also added six points on a pair of threes in the first quarter.

He finished Game 3 with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor (55.6%) and 4-for-6 from deep.

Phoenix will try to stamp its ticket to the Western Conference Finals with a win in Game 4 on Sunday night.

Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. Catch all the action on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

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