Author: Monojit Mandal
Nuggets 109 – 94 Heat
In an extraordinary display of talent and strength, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat 109-94 on Wednesday night, establishing a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals. Nikola Jokic performed admirably, etching his name in the history books with an impressive stat line of 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists. Jamal Murray, who also had a triple-double with 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, joined him in the record books.
Jokic’s amazing effort in that game made him the first player in NBA Finals history to record a triple-double with at least 30 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. He showed his flexibility by hitting 12 of 21 shots and blocking two attempts. Denver managed to recover from their earlier setback in Game 2 on their own pitch, thanks to this sensational display of brilliance.
Murray’s performance was also noteworthy, as he led all scorers with 34 points, as well as contributing significantly with rebounds and assists. The Nuggets dominated the game, with Murray and Jokic leading the team’s offensive brilliance. Christian Braun, who came off the bench and scored 15 points on excellent shooting (7 of 8), contributed to Denver’s victory. Aaron Gordon also played an important role for the Nuggets, with 11 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Despite a spirited attempt, the Miami Heat couldn’t overcome the Nuggets’ overwhelming performance. Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 28 points, and Bam Adebayo had a double-double of 22 points and 17 rebounds. However, Miami trailed by as many as 21 points during the game, making the home team’s task difficult.
After the break, the Nuggets took control of the game, scoring the first six points of the second half with a basket by Jokic and two consecutive field goals by Gordon. Denver now leads the game 59-48. Despite Miami’s efforts to close the gap, the Nuggets pulled away with a 21-11 run. Denver’s lead was 78-62 after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s jumper, and Braun’s tray and strong dunk made the score 82-63 with 50.2 seconds left in the third quarter.
As the game entered the final period, the Heat managed to score the last five points, reducing the Nuggets’ lead to 82-68. Bam Adebayo scored two free throws at the start of the fourth quarter, reducing the margin to 12 points.
In the coming days, Game 4 of the NBA Finals will be played in Miami on Friday night. With Jokic’s triple-double record and the new home-court advantage, the Nuggets will be looking to increase their lead in the series.
Thanks to Jokic’s 10th triple-double of the post-season, the Nuggets regained home-court advantage. Notably, Jokic’s 30-20-10 performance was the third in NBA postseason history, a feat previously accomplished by Hall of Fame members Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The Nuggets demonstrated their offensive efficiency by shooting 51.2% from the field. Their 3-point shots, on the other hand, weren’t as successful, converting just 5 of 18 attempts (27.8%). Despite this, Denver controlled the rebounding battle, outscoring the Heat 58-33.
Miami, on the other hand, struggled with their shooting, hitting just 37% of their field goal attempts and 11 of 35 shots from beyond the arc (31.4%). Caleb Martin scored 10 points to lead the Heat.