The Nuggets Defend Home Court
The 2023 NBA Finals features two teams with vastly different paths entering the final stretch. One team swept their conference final foes. The other squad denied what could have been the greatest playoff comeback in NBA history. In the end, the more rested team emerged victorious in their first trip to the championship series.
Depth Wins
Nikola Jokic shot three for three from the field, and had ten points and ten assists in the first half alone to carry the Denver Nuggets to a 104-93 victory to open the best-of-seven championship series against the Miami Heat.
The two-time MVP finished his NBA Finals debut with 27 points, 14 assists, ten rebounds, a steal, and a block in 40 minutes. More importantly, with extra eyes on the NBA Finals, the Joker is finally making believers out of doubters who were quick to write off his greatness in recent years.
Jamal Murray added 26 points, ten assists, and six rebounds, while Aaron Gordon added 16 points in 36 minutes. Michael Porter Jr. put up a 14/12 double double for the Nuggets who survived a 11-0 scoring blast to open the fourth quarter. The Heat cut down a 24-point deficit to nine points in the final minutes, but it was too little too late by that point.
While the Heat made things interesting, for those who were watching, it never appeared as though Denver was at any true risk of blowing their lead. The Nuggets shot 51.3% from the field, won the rebounds (44-43), and outscored Miami 46-38 in points in the paint. These numbers helped compensate for the Nuggets’ 28.6% shooting from the three-point line.
Miami Struggles Anew
Aside from having no answers for Nikola Jokic, Miami’s own woes doomed them early against Denver. Jimmy Butler, making his second trip to the NBA Finals, was limited to 13 points on six for 14 field goal shooting. Bam Adebayo flipped the script from his dismal Game 7 performance to lead the way for the eighth-seeded Heat with 26 points and 12 rebounds, on 13 for 25 field goal shooting. Gabe Vincent added 19 points and five assists. Meanwhile Haywood Highsmith had 18 points off the bench and acted as a spark plug for the team throughout the contest. Unfortunately, no other Miami players showed up offensively in the series opener.
The trio of Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin, and Max Strus combined for six points on 2 for 23 shooting from beyond the arc. As a team, the Heat shot 33.3% from downtown and only attempted TWO free throws throughout the game. This caused Jimmy Butler to implore his team to be more aggressive in the post game media availability.
It didn’t help that Miami’s defense also allowed the Nuggets to shoot 60% from the field in the first half, putting them behind the 8 ball down the stretch.
Miami Needs to Adjust
While fatigue may have played a part in Miami’s Game One defeat as the Heat came off a gruelling seven-game series against the Boston Celtics, Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra and company know they need to adjust or this will be a quick series.
Top of the list of adjustments Miami needs to make come Game Two on Sunday and beyond is their three-point shooting.The good news though: Tyler Herro is slated for a Game Three return. Herro has been out since the first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks after suffering a hand fracture.
Most importantly, the Heat big men, particularly Bam Adebayo, must find a way to contain Nikola Jokic, especially on fast break situations when Jokic dishes his patented outlet passes for easy baskets. It’s easier said than done but it’s the only way Miami can put up a fight for the championship.
Game 2 takes place Sunday in Denver at 8pm ET.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Hansdieter Schweiger.