Author: Monojit Mandal
Nuggets 108 – 95 Heat
The Denver Nuggets are on the verge of making franchise history, as they are one win away from winning their first NBA title. In a spectacular display of talent and commitment, the Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat 108-95 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, giving them a 3-1 lead in the series.
The Nuggets’ main player, Nikola Jokic, continued to demonstrate his MVP dominance with an excellent performance, scoring 23 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks. Along with him, Aaron Gordon scored 27 points, six rebounds and six assists, a career high in the playoffs.
The fifth and possible deciding game of the series will be played on Monday in Denver, with kick-off scheduled for 8.30pm (US Eastern Time) and broadcast on ABC. The Nuggets will have the chance to win the title in front of their home crowd.
The statistics heavily favor Denver, whether it’s Game 5 or any other in the series. The teams that have taken a 3-1 series lead in the NBA Finals have an impressive record of 267 wins and just 13 losses. In the NBA Finals, teams with a 3-1 lead have won on 35 out of 36 occasions. The Cleveland Cavaliers, who came from 3-1 down to win the championship against the Golden State Warriors in 2016, were an exception to this trend.
The Nuggets’ success in Game 4 was the result of their teamwork and efficiency. It didn’t matter if Jokic had a triple-double or Jamal Murray scored 30 points. Denver’s starting line-up outscored Miami’s 83-59. The Nuggets demonstrated their shooting ability by hitting 49.4% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc.
Murray scored 15 points and dished out 12 assists, continuing his streak of double-digit assists in every playoff game. Michael Porter Jr. contributed 11 points, while bench player Bruce Brown contributed 21 points, including 11 important points in the fourth quarter. Miami couldn’t cope with Denver’s talent and depth.
Gordon was crucial, especially in the first half, as he scored 16 points, including 15 in the second quarter. The Nuggets’ approach in Game 1 was to capitalize on Gordon’s size advantage against the Heat. Gordon’s three-point basket at the end of the third quarter extended Denver’s lead to 86-73.
Jokic picked up his fifth personal foul with 9:24 left in the fourth quarter and the Nuggets leading 86-76. He was forced to sit on the bench for a while. Although the Heat had cut the lead to 91-85, Jokic’s rebound with 4:09 remaining coincided with the Nuggets holding a comfortable 96-87 lead. Denver won with eight points from Brown and a decisive three-point basket from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, taking a 108-92 lead with 1:11 remaining.
Miami struggled to shoot from beyond the arc, hitting 32%, while starting guards Max Strus and Gabe Vincent combined for two points, shooting 1-10 from the field and missing all seven of their three-point attempts. Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Bam Adebayo contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds.