Name: How to watch the next Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets game in the 2021 NBA Playoffs on TV
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How to watch the next Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets game in the 2021 NBA Playoffs on TV

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Arizona RepublicView CommentsHow to watch the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of their 2021 NBA playoff series?With cautious optimism. Sure, knocking off the Los Angeles Lakers — who were defending NBA champs, no less — was satisfying for any Suns fan. The Suns are rolling at the moment, with a not-even-as-close-as-the-score blowout of the Nuggets on Wednesday, winning 123-98. Not to jinx anything, knock wood, but what in the name of Connie Hawkins is going on here? Could the Suns make the Western Conference Finals?Maybe. This is certainly a good start.Now it really means more. Now you really have to invest in the team, if you’re going to.It's actually time to get excited, if you weren't already.This series continues in Denver at 7 p.m. Friday on ESPN, with Ryan Ruocco doing play by play and former Arizona Wildcat Richard Jefferson as analyst.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Suns-Lakers series was like the first season of a great drama, with big stars (LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Chris Paul), the emergence of new heroes ( and Deandre Ayton), a compelling storyline (redemption, revenge, etc.) and more. There were intriguing developments&nbsp;— Davis and Paul getting hurt, for one, and returning with differing results, for another.But don’t forget: The Suns are the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.And the Nuggets are the No. 3 seed. This is exactly the showdown you want when you’re making the bracket. But the thought that this is going to get any easier is just wrong, despite the Suns' big win Monday.Who is D-Book&nbsp;dating?&nbsp;Plus, the Lakers were easy to hate. Longtime rivals going back decades, a history of great series, all that. The Nuggets&nbsp;aren’t easy to despise. They’re not all that easy to love, either. They’re just sort of … there.But while they’re there, they’re also really good. Nikola Jokic’s nickname may be “Joker,” but he’s no cartoon villain. He’s flat-out great, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, even if he looks like the last guy you’d choose in a pickup game. (It’s fun to imagine him wandering into such a game and dominating a bunch of would-be weekend warriors who dismissed him.)He’s a blast to watch, truly one of the most unusually entertaining players in the game. Michael Porter Jr. and Monte Morris had a good series in the Nuggets’ 4-2 series win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Not to overstate the obvious, but they’re a really good team.He's called Suns games since 1972:So this series is like the second season of a great show, and we've seen the first&nbsp;couple episodes. You want it to live up to the thrill of the first season. But can it? The same cast of characters is there for the Suns, of course. Will they mesh the way they did before? Will the novelty wear off? The storylines are different. The first season had a great finale. What if this season doesn’t end the way you want it to?So far so good. But it's early.Former Sun Charles Barkley, who always goes out of his way on TNT’s studio show to praise his former team, said that, regretfully, . So there’s that — a little bit of inspiration to do the one thing no one has ever accomplished: Shut Barkley up. (Don’t do that, actually. He’s a TV treasure.) The way Booker is playing, and the way the NBA works now, with one hot star able to dominate, the Suns have a real chance to make a lot more noise in the playoffs. The games from here on out, however long the season lasts, are can’t-miss TV. There will be ups and downs, but would you have it any other way? That’s what makes good, if maddening, TV.The work continues.Diners, Drive-Ins and Dunks:Game 3: 7 p.m. Friday, June 11, on ESPN.Game 4: 5 p.m. Sunday, June 13, on TNT.Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday, June 15, TNT. Time to be determined.Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, June 17, ESPN. Time to be determined.Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, June 20. Network and time to be determined.Reach Goodykoontz at . Facebook: . Twitter: . Subscribe to .. What are you waiting for?View Comments

Arizona RepublicView CommentsHow to watch the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of their 2021 NBA playoff series?With cautious optimism. Sure, knocking off the Los Angeles Lakers — who were defending NBA champs, no less — was satisfying for any Suns fan. The Suns are rolling at the moment, with a not-even-as-close-as-the-score blowout of the Nuggets on Wednesday, winning 123-98. Not to jinx anything, knock wood, but what in the name of Connie Hawkins is going on here? Could the Suns make the Western Conference Finals?Maybe. This is certainly a good start.Now it really means more....

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Bill Goodykoontz

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How to watch the next Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets game in the 2021 NBA Playoffs on TV

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