NBA Finals: Nuggets respond and edge closer to Game 1 win

The two teams met in a fiery regular season clash in the 2021-2022 season, when Nuggets star Nikola Jokic poleaxed then Heat player Markieff Morris from behind.

That sparked a melee involving players from both sides. A furious Butler challenged Denver’s players to discuss the incident in the tunnel after the game.

Jokic and Morris were both ejected while Jokic was later suspended for one game following the incident at Denver’s Ball Arena.

4Q: DENVER 90-74

Denver has responded to open up a 16 point lead with seven minutes remaining.

Murray is keep his foot on Miami’s throat with a stellar game at both ends of the floor.

The Nuggets guard has eight assists as his team’s floor general alongside Jokic.

Denver should close this game out now.

4Q: DENVER 84-71

HEAT OPEN FOURTH ON 8-0 RUN

Hold the press, the Miami Heat aren’t done yet.

The Heat have opened the fourth quarter on a 8-0 run to reduce the Nuggets’ lead to 13 points.

Miami just refuse to go away despite producing a poor performance by their standards.

Can Denver hold on?

END OF 3Q: DENVER 84-63

The Denver Nuggets are dominating and boy it’s good to watch.

The Heat can’t compete with the Nuggets’ brilliant team basketball and it’s showing on the scoreboard.

Denver has five players in double figures, led by guard Jamal Murray with 24 points.

Jokic is just one rebound short of yet another post-season triple-double.

The Nuggets are on fire and the Heat look gone heading into the fourth quarter.

3Q: DENVER 71-55

INSANE JOKIC THREE

We know Nikola Jokic is brilliant, but my word the man can play basketball.

Jokic just nailed another over the head three to put another nail in Miami’s Game 1 coffin.

The Nuggets look a class above the Heat – who are struggling from the field – and simply have no answers for Denver at both ends of the floor.

Will the Heat keep fighting or is this over?

3Q: DENVER 64-49

BAM KEEPING HEAT IN THE FIGHT

Miami big man Bam Adebayo has been his team’s best player by a mile. Adebayo has 20 points in as many minutes on the floor to help the Heat stay in the fight.

Miami look desperate to open the third quarter, but they’ll need to maintain the intensity to overcome a dominant Denver outfit.

The Heat are also 5 of 20 from three, which is hurting them.

HALFTIME: DENVER 59-42

DANGER HEAT – THE JOKER PUTTING ON A CLINIC

Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic was quiet early, but he has found his groove in the second quarter.

Jokic is taking the ball to the rim – and the Heat have no answers for his sheer size.

Miami look off their game, especially shooting wise. They’ll need to wake up soon or this game could be over.

The Nuggets are huming at home and looking to take advantage.

Jokic has a double-double (10 pts and 10 assists) already. He is deadset Larry Bird in a big man’s body.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has also been magnificant, dropping 18 points in the first-half.

2Q: DENVER 39-31

HEAT STRUGGLING BUT HANGING AROUND

The Heat have gone cold. All the shots that were going down during the playoffs have dropped off and it looks ugly early on.

Miami’s woes have opened the door for Denver to dominate. Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic only has four points, but it doesn’t matter.

Gordon (12), Murray (11) and Porter (8) are all taking over.

In true Miami fashion, though, the men from South Beach are just hanging around and only trail by eight points.

The Heat just hang tough and it’s this resilience that will give them a shot in this game.

END OF 1Q: DENVER 29-20

BOGUT HIGH ON GORDON:

Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon has been sensational to start this game.

Gordon is starring for the home side with 12 first-quarter points, including shooting six of eight from the field.

His performance has propelled the Nuggets to a seven-point lead.

Aussie basketball legend and NBA champion Andrew Bogut has taken to Twitter to praise Gordon.

“Nuggets going anti-analytics and posting Gordon up HEAVILY early,” Bogut tweeted.

1Q: DENVER 14-9

NUGGETS EXPOSE HEAT ZONE:

Miami has defensively shut down teams this post-season with their zone defence, but it’s not working against Denver thus far.

The Nuggets have been able penetrate the paint versus the Heat in the first quarter – and it’s resulted in a handy early lead.

Denver’s ball movement is really testing Miami while the Heat have gone cold from the field,

Can Miami find their feet and respond?

HEAT’S UNWANTED HISTORY:

The Miami Heat have defied the odds all season, but they face their toughest test against the Denver Nuggets.

The Heat haven’t beaten the Nuggets for three years dating back to the 2020-21 season.

During that period, Denver has a 6-0 record versus Miami, including two close victories this season.

It’s not an ideal record for the Heat, but it won’t worry Jimmy Butler and co.

Miami has already beaten the two top seeds in the Eastern Conference (Milwaukee and Boston), so they’ll head into the NBA Finals with plenty of confidence.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips off at 10.30am (AEST). Join me, Matt Logue, as we ride every moment of what should be an epic series between the Nuggets and the Heat.

NBA FINALS 2023:

Butler moved to draw a line under the controversy on Thursday when talking to reporters on the eve of Miami’s clash with Denver in game one of the finals on Friday from 10.30am (AEST).

“There’s a lot of stuff about the whole situation that people don’t understand, and I’ll let that stay back there,” Butler said.

“I don’t think it has too much to do with anything, this thing in the past. It’s high-level competition.”

Butler was at pains to clarify however that his angry on-court tirade during that 2021 game was not directed at Jokic.

“I will say I wasn’t talking to Jokic,” Butler said.

“That wasn’t my beef. Make sure you write that. The individual who I was talking to definitely knew who I was talking to.”

Butler meanwhile said Miami would need to take an all-hands-on-deck approach to containing Jokic, Denver’s two-time NBA MVP who is averaging 29.9 points, 13.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists during this postseason.

Asked what would be the key to slowing down Jokic, Butler replied: “Guarding him as a team with all five guys.

“He does everything so well, and we’re going to have to be in the gaps, we’re going to have to gang rebound.

“We can’t have defensive lapses. We’re just going to have to get after it. I think at the end of the day, he’s a major key … and we’re going to have to lock in.”

Butler has been the talismanic driving force of Miami’s remarkable playoff run this year, which saw them reach the finals despite being the lowly-ranked eighth seeds.

The 33-year-old forward said Miami’s players had always believed in their ability to mount a deep postseason run based on the quality of the roster displayed in practice.

“We do it every single day, and we know what we’re capable of,” Butler said.

“The outside individuals don’t get the opportunity to see that, and I wish that y’all did because then you would see that the guys that we have on this team, on this roster, can really play some high-level basketball.

“We’re going to stay confident because, we’re in the grind every single day.

“Guys have been out of the line-up all year long, guys step up, fill in, and do their job. We’re never going to be surprised.”

Originally published as NBA Finals 2023: Serbian sensation Nikola Jokic and gun guard Jamal Murray are dominating the hapless Heat