Schedule and 2022-23 Results:
Regular Season Records: Denver 53-29, Phoenix 45-37
Game 1 on Saturday, 29 April: Phoenix loses at Denver, 125-pts-107
Game 2 on Monday, 01 May: Phoenix loses at Denver, 97-pts-87
Game 3 on Friday, 05 May: Denver loses at Phoenix, 121-pts-114
Game 4 on Sunday, 07 May: Denver loses at Phoenix, 129-pts-124
Game 5 on Tuesday, 09 May: Phoenix loses at Denver, 118-pts-102
Game 6 on Thursday, 11 May: Denver wins at Phoenix, 125-pts-100

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Denver Nuggets visited and defeated the Phoenix Suns 125-pts-100 to complete a 4-games-2 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1543 victory. With the series 1543 win, the Denver Nuggets improve their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 10-21 overall and 5-7 in the Quarterfinals round. With the series 1543 loss, the Phoenix Suns see their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record fall to 20-23 overall and 10-11 in the Quarterfinals round. The win order for the victorious Denver Nuggets in series 1543 was WWLLWW: Series 1543 thus becomes the fifteenth NBA Quarterfinals-round series, the 38th NBA series (all rounds), and the 85th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion.

After Game 5: The Denver Nuggets hosted and defeated the Phoenix Suns 118-pts-102 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1543 lead of 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Denver Nuggets have a series record of 3-1 and a Game 6 record of 1-3. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 2-11 (with an active four-series losing streak) and a Game 6 record of 4-9 (with an active four-Game 6 losing streak). Trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Phoenix Suns achieved their two series victories in series 319 (in the 1976 NBA Semifinals over the Golden State Warriors) and in series 977 (in the 2006 NBA Preliminary round over the Los Angeles Lakers).

After Game 4: The Phoenix Suns hosted and defeated the Denver Nuggets 129-pts-124 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1543 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Denver Nuggets have a series record of 2-4 and a Game 5 record of 3-3, while the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 8-10 and a Game 5 record of 9-9. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series history, the Denver Nuggets are opening such a series in series 1543 with a WWLL win order for the first time, while the Phoenix Suns are opening such a series in series 1543 with a LLWW win order for the fifth time (Phoenix was 0-4 in the previous four such series).

After Game 3: The Phoenix Suns hosted and defeated the Denver Nuggets 121-pts-114 to reduce the Denver Nuggets best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1543 lead to 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Denver Nuggets have a series record of 4-1 and a Game 4 record of 3-2. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 3-11 and a Game 4 record of 9-5. Leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series with a WWL win order, the Denver Nuggets have a perfect 3-0 series record and a perfect 3-0 Game 4 record; trailing such a series with a LLW win order, the Phoenix Suns have a perfect 0-7 series record. Trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1 (as they now do in series 1543), the Phoenix Suns have an active four-Game 4 winning streak.

After Game 2: The Denver Nuggets hosted and bested the Phoenix Suns 97-pts-87 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1543 lead of 2-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Denver Nuggets have a series record of 5-0 and a Game 3 record of 2-3. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 0-13 and a Game 3 record of 7-6.

After Game 1: The Denver Nuggets hosted and bested the Phoenix Suns 125-pts-107 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1543 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Denver Nuggets have a series record of 6-7 and a Game 2 record of 5-8. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 5-15 and a Game 2 record of 7-13. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series beginning in 1947, teams winning Game 1 by 18 points (such as the Denver Nuggets in series 1543) have a 12-1 (.923) series record; the sole loser in that situation was the Indiana Pacers, which lost in seven games to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA Preliminary round (in series 1371).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2022-23 NBA regular season, the Denver Nuggets finished eight games ahead of the Phoenix Suns. From 1947 through the 2023 NBA Preliminary round, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by eight regular-season games, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 26-8 (.765) in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1543 is the 31st best-of-7 NBA playoff series for the Denver Nuggets, and the 43rd for the Phoenix Suns. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Denver Nuggets have an all-rounds series record of 9-21, a Quarterfinals-round series record of 4-7, and a Game 1 record of 13-17, while the Phoenix Suns have an all-rounds series record of 20-22, a Quarterfinals-round series record of 10-10, and a Game 1 record of 22-20. Series 1543 is the second best-of-7 NBA playoff series meeting between the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns. The Phoenix Suns swept the Denver Nuggets in their only previous best-of-7 NBA playoff series meeting, in series 1478 in the 2021 NBA Quarterfinals.