May 7—PHOENIX — The home team improved to 4-0, and the Nuggets and Suns will return to Denver with the series tied at two games apiece after the Suns won Game 4, 129-124, on Sunday.

Here are three takeaways from Footprint Center: 1. Nikola Jokic isn’t making any more friends in Phoenix. Suns fans remember Jokic’s ejection in Game 4 of their 2021 second-round series, and another dramatic chapter was written Sunday when Denver’s star tried to retrieve a ball that ended up in the crowd. Suns owner Matt Ishbia had the ball, and the two got tangled up. Suns fans will say Jokic shoved Ishbia. Nuggets fans will say the Suns’ new owner shouldn’t have crowded Jokic. There’s some truth to both points, but Nuggets fans will have to hope the NBA doesn’t take any additional action.

2. This series is proving role players play better at home. The Nuggets had the edge in bench production in the first two games of the series. Since it’s moved to Phoenix, the Suns’ supplementary scorers have gotten the better of the matchup. Landry Shamet’s 19 led the Suns to an 40-11 advantage in bench points Sunday, as each team’s stars cancelled each other out.

3. The shot-making was at an all-time high in Game 4. Phoenix finished with a fieldgoal percentage of 56.8. Denver wasn’t far behind at 56.2%. Booker made 14 of 18 shots for the Suns, while Jokic led Denver by making 20 of his 30 shots.

SUNS 129, NUGGETS 124 What happened: The Suns scored the first five points, but Denver led by as many as nine in the first quarter. Phoenix closed within two points by the end of the quarter on Kevin Durant’s buzzer beater. The Suns erased the deficit and went up by four, while Nikola Jokic was on the bench with two fouls early in the second, and took a 63-61 lead at halftime. Back-to-back 3s from Devin Booker in the final minute of the third quarter put the Suns up six to start the fourth. The Nuggets had the ball down 3 in the final minutes but came up short.

What went right: The Suns still don’t have an answer for Jokic, especially inside. Denver’s big man scored his 40th point late in the third quarter and set a new playoff careerhigh in the fourth. He finished with a career-high 53 points on 30 shots.

What went wrong: The Nuggets still don’t have an answer for Booker, especially in the mid-range. Booker recorded his third straight 30-point game in the third quarter and finished with 36 points.

Highlight of the night: Aaron Gordon dished out one of his better dimes of the season with the Nuggets needing a spark in the fourth. Gordon corralled a rebound and started the break. With Jokic trailing the play, Gordon left a pass between his legs for the trail man. Jokic hit a floater to get him to 46 points.

Up next: The series returns to Denver for Tuesday’s Game 5 at Ball Arena. Tip is at 8 p.m. (TNT)