Competing on the Ball Arena main floor for the first time since their playoff heartbreaker in Game 7, the Nuggets pushed their starters deep into the game against the reserve Phoenix Suns in a preseason contest on Sunday night.

The result wasn’t what was expected: a 118-104 loss for Denver, which fell to 0-3 this preseason after shooting 33% from 3-point range to Phoenix’s 46%. Next up is a home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.

Up-tempo chaos

Every NBA coach seems to make it a goal to play faster every year. Michael Malone is no exception. But so far it’s not just talk. The Nuggets have made a concerted effort in these exhibition games to get the ball up the court quicker, whether after a change of possession or through Nikola Jokic recklessly testing 40-foot passes down the sideline from the backcourt.

The Nuggets haven’t exactly gotten to the part of the plan where they consistently capitalize on their transition opportunities. Their decision-making on Sunday was sloppy and they missed a few things at the rim. (The official box score said they shot 4 of 10 on fast breaks through three quarters.) Jokic turned it over six times, often experimenting with the kind of ridiculous plays that make for compelling highlights when he makes them in regulation play executes season.

Overall, the process is there. Denver produced a number of decent performances by running the floor, and last but not least, preseason games like these provide valuable conditioning training – an area where Malone believes his team still needs to make a lot of progress. He played four of his five starters until the end of the third quarter and gave Jamal Murray a rest after halftime. Defensive breakdowns became a problem in the third period as the Suns blasted tired Nuggets players.

Porter continues to stand out

Michael Porter Jr. showed up to training camp in excellent physical condition, teammates and coaches have confirmed. His preseason showcased that strength and grit while also showing how special he can be as an offensive player.

A few seconds after Jokic won the opening tip, the ball landed in the corner to Porter, where he confidently dunked. His off-ball movement was excellent throughout the evening, allowing him to score as a cutter or shoot in rhythm around dribble handoffs. He puts the ball on the floor and tries to shoot, but rarely forces it. And Denver seemed intent on making plenty of plays for him on Sunday, including a creative out-of-bounds design on the baseline in which Porter floated the inbound pass to Aaron Gordon in the lane for a Jokic- Screen ran around and sank an open three-pointer from the field catch by Gordon.

Porter finished the night with 21 points, matching Jokic’s team record on 8-of-13 shooting. Most notably, he was 5 of 7 from inside the arc.