Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone has said his team is trying to force someone else to beat them in this Western Conference semifinals series.
Enter Landry Shamet.
Having received major criticism throughout the playoffs on social media, the Suns’ reserve guard hit a playoff career-high five shots from 3 in scoring 19 points and sparking Sunday’s 129-124 Game 4 win before a lively sellout crowd of 17,071 at Footprint Center to even the series at 2-2.
“It’s playoff basketball,” Shamet said. “I’m hungry. I want to win. A healthy amount of pissed off and just been ready to go.”
Shamet said he’s looking to bring that same mentality into Tuesday’s Game 5 in Denver.
“He had a game where he didn’t even play and then to bounce back and have an effect on the game, defensively last game and some offensively and then tonight,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “His shot-making versus their coverage was huge for us.”
Game 6 is Thursday back in Phoenix. If there is a Game 7, it will be Mother’s Day, May 14, in Denver.
“It is a best of who wins two,” Nuggets All-Star center Nikola Jokic said. “I think it is interesting. I think there is a lot of good basketball that is being played. You can see a lot of guys are stepping up and making a big night. I think it is an interesting series and hopefully we can protect our home court. I think at the end of it, it will be an interesting (Game 5).”
Devin Booker and Kevin Durant once again had huge scoring nights in combining for 72 points after cranking out a collective 86 in Game 3’s win Friday.
Booker and Durant each scored 36 points for the fourth-seeded Suns.
“I am just trying to win. I always say and it is something that I will tell KD, throw that efficiency stuff out the window,” said Booker who shot a heated 14-of-18 from the field (3-of-4 from 3) while Durant went 11-of-19 (4-of-12 from 3). “I don’t care about that. Just keep going, keep attacking, keep being aggressive.”
Jokic punched out a career playoff-high 53 points to go along with 11 assists in a losing effort.
“He is ridiculous,” Durant said. “I felt like all those shots were easy shots. He just played the game at a pace where you can’t speed him up, fluster him; he is strong, he can make every shot. I hate when he makes shots, he is so unorthodox. It’s like, ‘Oh yeah that is a miss’, then it goes straight in. He is incredible.”
Rewind: Suns even NBA Playoffs series with Nuggets with Game 4 victory
Jokic had an exchange with Suns team owner Mat Ishbia late in the first half in which the two-time MVP ripped the ball out of Ishbia’s hands trying to inbound the ball quickly. He then extended his arm and knocked Ishbia back in his courtside seat.
“The ball went over into the corner there and one of the fans was holding the ball,” explained crew chief Tony Brothers after the game as the fan he’s referring to is Ishbia. “Jokic came to get the ball, grabbed it away from the fan, then after that he deliberately gave him a shove and pushed him down, so he was issued an unsportsmanlike technical foul.”
Jokic addressed the incident after the game.
He’s a fan isn’t he?” Jokic said in addressing a question about the identity of Ishbia. “Sitting on the court, he’s a fan, isn’t he? He’s a fan. He can’t influence the game by holding the ball.”
Jamal Murray scored 28 points for the No. 1 seeded Nuggets, but Shamet was the X-factor Sunday.
Shamet had 14 points on 6-of-19 shooting (2-of-9 from 3) in this year’s playoffs going into Sunday’s Game 4. He went 6-of-9 in Game 4, going 5-of-8 from 3.
His 19 points were also a playoff career high.
“Man, that intensity he brought on the ball defensively, that takes us to the next level,” Durant said. “He worked his butt off on the ball; Jamal Murray is an incredible player. That pick-and-roll with him and (Nikola) Jokic is almost unstoppable. He just played his tail off, made plays, got back into the plays.”
‘Believe more’: Suns confident going into Game 5 after tying series with Nuggets
Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Landry Shamet shines as Phoenix Suns cruise past Denver Nuggets in Game 4