NBA: With little from Facundo Campazzo, Denver Nuggets was crushed by Phoenix Suns and is virtually eliminated

06/11/2021 11:23 PM

• Clarín.com

• sports

Updated 06/12/2021 1:40 AM

Facundo Campazzo and the Denver Nuggets suffered another setback at the hands of some terrific Phoenix Suns.

The Argentine team fell again, this time by 116-102, in the semifinals of the NBA Western Conference and was 0-3 in the series, a result that

never in the history of the league could be traced.

The Argentine had a discreet game although at a specific moment he collaborated in what could seem to be a recovery of the team.

In short, he contributed 6 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal, with a clear symptom: he

did not give an assist

in the almost 18 minutes he was on the court.

Nikola Jokic's game was of little use to the local, who received his award for MVP of the season and added

32 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists

, although he barely scored 1-6 in triples and 5-9 in free practice.

During the visit highlighted

Devin Booker

(28 points),

Chris Paul

(27, 8 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals) and

Deandre Ayton

(10 points and 15 sacks on the boards).

Knowing what happened in the previous game, when Denver was very weak with his distance shot and it was enough to carry Nikola Jokic's mark, Phoenix

repeated the plan

that had given him success and complicated from the beginning.

At the same time, the visit attacked the paint from early on, where Jokic has

all the weaknesses that he does not show on offense.

Michael Malone

, DT of Denver, determined that for the start of this game,

Austin Rivers

would be in charge of defending Chris Paul, leaving Campazzo in the assignment of a player who despite having greater physical size has less weight on offense as

Jae Crowder.

After 8 minutes of the first quarter Campazzo, Rivers and

Aaron Gordon

came out to enter

Will Barton

(still making his return after an injury),

Monte Morris

and

JaMychal Green

.

Phoenix continued to manage the actions and took the fourth by 10 points (37-27) playing

practically unopposed

in each attack: he scored

71%

of his shots from the court with a varied and even goal from his five starters and his sixth man. , the Cameron Payne perimeter.

As during much of the playoffs, some members of Denver's second unit performed acceptably, with

Monte Morris

standing out

with 12 points, and at some point they closed the gap to close to five units, but with every hint of recovery, Phoenix returned. to punish.

Campazzo came back near the end of the second quarter and

contributed two triples

plus a catch of a loose ball that, at the other end of the court, ended in a double and Jokic's foul, although the Serbian could not score the free kick.

But his interventions allowed Denver to reach six and at the end of the first half

managed to cut to four

(55-59).

💣 FACU PUMP💣

Triple vital to lower the double digits that Suns had pic.twitter.com/bt5cF2CXvf

- TeamFacu (@ TeamFacu7) June 12, 2021

🔥 CAMPAZZO NAILED ANOTHER BOMB AND LIT THE ARENA BALL 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UPbpN530gH

- TeamFacu (@ TeamFacu7) June 12, 2021

So close and so far at the same time.

Because a little while in the third quarter was enough for the balance to end up unbalanced.

As had happened in the two previous games, it was from 24 to 36 minutes of play that Phoenix finished settling the lawsuit.

With Booker and Paul at the helm, the Suns seized the shares, continued to score with ease near the rim (12-20 for 60% in that quarter), an

unforgivable

for a team that prides itself on wanting to advance to the round or at least meet in the first game against his people.

Denver, meanwhile, was just 4-15 out of the paint in that span.

And in general he let himself be marked with a lot of counterattack and paid dearly for his losses, in addition to having a very low effectiveness

from all sectors

of the court (even in the free line).

But the worst thing was the lack of certain intangibles like that sporting shame that leads a team to fight when the hand is crooked.

The words of coach Malone were of little use, who had 

harshly questioned

the attitude of his managers in previous games.

The Nuggets, in short, were 0-3, a difference that never in the history of the playoffs was traced.

A difference that condemns them to say goodbye to the championship almost certainly and with a single certainty: the need to offer something better to make up a closure that could be expected against

one of the best teams in the championship

but that should not happen without rolling up their sleeves and fighting. .