After taking down the defending champions in the first-round of the playoffs, the Phoenix Suns will now face a new challenge in the Western Conference Semifinals as they take on the Denver Nuggets, who are looking to make it back to the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive NBA season. 

Without Jamal Murray, many believed that the Nuggets did not have the firepower to be able to make another deep playoff run, but they have other ideas. Since Murray went down with a torn ACL in his left knee, the Nuggets have gone 17-7 and they have done so without both Will Barton and P.J. Dozier in the same timeframe!

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Barton has yet to play in the postseason due to a hamstring injury he suffered on April 23 and Dozier has been out since May 3 with an adductor injury. It is unknown if either guy will be ready to go in this series against Phoenix, but the Nuggets have received plenty of production from some of their secondary talents in Facundo Campazzo, Austin Rivers and Monte Morris. 

Denver took care of the Portland Trail Blazers, one of the league’s best offensive teams, in the first-round of this year’s playoffs, but the Suns are going to be a much different team that they could struggle to deal with. 

During the regular season, the Nuggets beat the Suns in two of their three meetings, both wins coming on the road in Phoenix. The Suns were 27-9 at home during the regular season, which is why this series definitely has the potential to be special and a tough one in terms of making NBA predictions.

Both the Nuggets and Suns have title aspirations, but only one team can advance to the Western Conference Finals, so let’s break down this series and take a look at the keys to success for both teams.