Nikola Jokic, Nuggets rout Suns, advance to Western Conference finals
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Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN staff writer
PHOENIX – When boos filled the air at halftime on Thursday in the Footprint Center, Nikola Jokić made his way back towards Denver Nuggets changing room.
Jokic sauntered down the back hallway in his usual casual body language without giving a hint that the Nuggets were 30 points clear and well on their way back to the Western Conference Finals.
As they had all season, the Nuggets followed the two-time MVP’s lead with a businesslike expression. The Nuggets are on a mission to reach the NBA Finals, and they’re just one step away from that after defeating the Suns 125-100 in Game 6 to eliminate Phoenix 4-2.
The Nuggets return to the Finals for the first time since losing the Conference Championship to the Western Conference Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 Orlando bubble.
Denver will host either Golden State Warriors or the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals beginning next Tuesday.
Jokic returns to the next round with an absolute win. With his third triple-double in four games, he completed a phenomenal streak in which he had 32 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds while making 13 of 18 shots. The Suns simply had no answer for Jokic, who averaged 30 points in the triple-double in the second round.
