Dillon Brooks is ejected with 22 points as the Nuggets beat the Suns 127-120

Dillon Brooks was leading Phoenix in scoring on Friday night when he kicked his way out of the game. The Suns forward was ejected in the third quarter, and the Denver Nuggets beat Phoenix 127-120 in an NBA Cup group game at Mortgage Matchup Center.

Brooks was called for a flagrant 2 foul with 8:05 left in the third after he kicked Murray in the groin on a turnaround jumper, according to the AP and ESPN's play-by-play. He left with 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting and 4 of 6 from 3 in 21 minutes. Murray split the free throws, putting Denver up 85-76.

Murray made him pay. He scored 28 of his 39 points after halftime, finished 10 of 18 from the field and made 7 of 9 3-pointers, according to the ESPN box score. He also had eight rebounds and five assists.

Christian Braun did the damage early. He had 22 points at halftime on 8-of-10 shooting and made all six of his 3s before the break. He finished with a career-high 31 on 11-of-16 shooting, and his seven 3-pointers were also a career high, per the NBA's account.

Denver shot 13 of 20 from deep in the first half and 20 of 37 for the game. Nikola Jokic barely needed to score, finishing with 18 points and 10 assists, and all five Denver starters reached double figures. The Nuggets led 103-93 after three and never let the Suns get within one possession in the fourth.

Miles Bridges led Phoenix with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Collin Gillespie had 16 points and 10 assists off the bench. Devin Booker scored 20 on his 30th birthday but needed 19 shots to get there.

Phoenix shot 49% and made 18 3s, and Denver still outshot it at 54% from deep. The Suns also lost the free-throw battle 23 of 30 to 10 of 11.

Denver has won six straight against Phoenix, dating to Christmas Day 2024, and won back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Nuggets are 3-2. The Suns are 1-3.

What's next: Denver hosts Portland on Monday. Phoenix goes to Golden State on Monday, and the first thing to watch is whether the league adds anything for Brooks after a flagrant 2 ejection.