The Denver Nuggets beat the Phoenix Suns as the next round of the NBA play-offs got under way on Saturday.
One spot is still available in the last eight but the Nuggets began the Western Conference semi-finals with a 125-107 home win against the Suns.
Jamal Murray scored a game-high 34 points for the Nuggets, who are the top seeds in the division
Nikola Jokic, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the past two seasons, had 24 points and 19 rebounds for Denver.
Phoenix got within 10 points early in the fourth quarter but Denver then kept themselves well clear.
The Suns’ mid-season signing Kevin Durant had 29 points and 14 rebounds, with Devin Booker adding 27 points for Phoenix.
Denver have already gone further than they did in last year’s play-offs, when they were eliminated in the first round by eventual champions, the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors visit the Sacramento Kings on Sunday (20:30 BST) for the decider in their best-of-seven series, with the winners to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the other Western Conference semi-final.
The Eastern Conference semi-finals begin on Sunday with the New York Knicks hosting Miami Heat (18:00 BST).
