Denver Nuggets Take Game 1, Beat Miami Heat 104-93

The Denver Nuggets have opened the NBA Finals with a 104-93 win against the Miami Heat. Nikola Jokic debuted perfectly with a triple-double that saw him leading the way in both scoring and assisting.

Denver was extremely confident in this contest, with the Nuggets having a clear vision of how to beat the rivals. They exploited all the possible advantages on the floor, whether in size or speed. Aaron Gordon was the first to strike, using his power to muscle out the rivals under the rim. He and Jokic worked perfectly.

After that came Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. with a couple of sequences that saw them breaking the Heat defense and pulling their team away. In the meantime, Jokic was constant in all aspects of the game, not having bursts or series, but solely filling in the columns.

“That’s the beauty of Nikola,” Nuggets head coach Malone said. “I learned a long time ago, the defense tells you what to do, and Nikola never forces it. ”

On the other side, the Heat didn’t have an answer to the Nuggets’ approach. Jimmy Butler was stiffed, with Miami’s top scorer adding only 13 points, which is way below his average of 28.5. Butler grabbed seven boards and had seven assists.

Bam Adebayo was putting up some resistance, with the strong center scoring 26 points and getting 13 boards, while Gabe Vincent made five threes and 19 points in total. Haywood Highsmith dropped 18 off the bench, while Kyle Lowry scored 11 buckets.

A shocking data is that the Heat had only two free throws in this event. They weren’t aggressive at all, and that specifically applies to Jimmy Butler, who couldn’t find his rhythm. The Nuggets shot 20 times from the foul line, hitting 16.

“Probably because we shot a lot of jump shots, myself probably leading that pack, instead of putting pressure on the rim,” Butler told the media following the end.

Nikola Jokic posted a triple-double, his ninth in 16 playoff appearances this year – 27 points, 14 assists, and ten boards. Jamal Murray would have a point fewer, but he had ten assists and six boards.

Michael Porter Junior’s role was incredibly important. Despite him shooting 2-for-11 from deep and only 14 points, MPJ had a massive contribution on the defensive side. The tall forward poted 13 boards and two blocks, controlling the Nuggets’ glass in the best possible way.

Aaron Gordon scored 16, and Bruce Brown 10; the latter came off the bench.

The Nuggets didn’t shoot for three well, having less than 30% of made attempts, 8-for-27. Yet, their two-point stats were great, 32-for-52. They were versatile on the offensive side, constantly switching the method of play, trying to hit the rivals from all sorts of weapons.

Game 2 is this Sunday night, at 8 pm ET. The venue is the same, the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, the home of the Nuggets. For the moment, they are -390 favorites to win the title. Also, the bookmakers see them as absolute favorites to win Game 2 as well, -420.

Miami isn’t afraid of the current situation, with the Heat facing such issues throughout the entire playoffs. Butler was calm and realistic during the press conference, admitting all the mistakes and vowing to improve. Knowing the Heat mentality, they are already preparing an answer.