Mile High Tape · Morning

Denver's Starters Scored 115 in Phoenix. Monday Needs a Bench

The win over the Suns showed how much Denver's starting group can carry, and how little the team gets when that group sits.

By the Nuggets Nightly Desk · Saturday, October 31

Jamal Murray scored 39 and Christian Braun 31 as Denver beat Phoenix 127-120 in its first Emirates NBA Cup game. The starters scored 115 of the 127 points, and a 13-point lead fell to six in the final 77 seconds.

Nuggets Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Braun finished what others started

Braun went 11 of 16, made 7 of 9 threes and had one assist. Mile High Sports called the 31 points a career high. Jokic handed out 10 assists, and Murray also made 7 of 9 from deep while going 12 of 15 at the line. Braun didn't need the ball to change the game. He needed to be ready when it found him, and he was.

Twelve points from everyone else

Denver's bench scored 12. Trevon Brazile was minus 7 in 19 minutes, Tyus Jones minus 6 in 11 and DeMar DeRozan minus 4 in 24. Adelman still trusted Brazile in the last five minutes. The lead was 123-110 at the 1:17 mark, and Phoenix answered with seven straight points. An Aaron Gordon bad pass with six seconds left gave the Suns one more look.

Who comes back for Portland?

Cameron Johnson was cleared and played 34 minutes: 12 points, nine boards, 2 of 8 from three and plus 12. Spencer Jones (hamstring) and Alpha Diallo (personal) both have estimated returns of November 2, when the Trail Blazers visit. Toronto comes in November 4, and then Denver plays Indiana in Mexico City on November 7. Julian Strawther's knee carries a November 29 estimate.

The question for the second unit

At 3-2, Denver sits ninth and trails 4-2 Dallas by 0.5 games for the sixth seed. The starters have shown they connect. The open question is whether Jones and Diallo give Adelman a group that can protect a lead without the starters, or just more minutes to get through.

When are Spencer Jones and Alpha Diallo expected back for the Nuggets?

Both are listed as out with an estimated return of November 2, when Denver hosts the Trail Blazers.

Did Christian Braun set a career high against the Suns?

Mile High Sports reported that his 31 points were a career high. He made 11 of 16 shots, including 7 of 9 from three, in Denver's 127-120 win.

By the Nuggets Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.