- Denver Nuggets are off to a great start in their first NBA Finals
- They crushed Miami Heat 104-93 points
- Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic was the man of the game
Denver Nuggets are off to a great start in their first NBA Finals with a resounding win against Miami Heat in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals on Thursday night.
The Nuggets took the lead over the Miami Heat with 104-93 points by the end of the game. They put on a great show for their supporters with an effective offensive exhibition in this game.
A size advantage by the Nuggets helped execute a flawless intimidation that made it easy for the Game 1 winners to easily score.
Their sheer size enabled them to establish an early advantage thanks to this strategy, which they stuck to throughout the game.
Miami Heat made a late push to make the final score acceptable, but the Nuggets maintained a double-digit lead for the overwhelming part of the game.
Miami Heat vs Denver Game 1. Photo/Sportskeeda
They maintained a healthy 24-point lead in the third quarter. In his first Finals game, Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic produced a triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists on 8 of 12 shooting from the field.
Jamal Murray added 26 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists, and Aaron Gordon added 16 points. Despite having trouble from beyond the arc, the Nuggets’ team field goal percentage was 51.3%.
As for Heat, they were marred by an indigent shooting from outside. They only have 13 shots out of the 39 from three-point range until the fourth quarter.
The Jimmy Butler squad scored a total of 40.6% points. Butler finished with just 13 points on 14 shots, while Bam Adebayo led the way with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists.
However, it was Jokic who stole the show in the Game 1 Heats game. He joined Jason Kidd as one of the basketball players in NBA history to post a triple-double in their first Finals game.
Jokic was exceptional all night long, with his magical orchestration of the Nuggets’ offence. He effectively provided them with the scoring power they required during the game.
He provided assist after assist to open the game, which was playmaking early on. He also went almost the whole first quarter without making a shot.
After the half, he started scoring more often, especially in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
He finished with a total of 14 assists, the highest ever by a centre in a Finals game. Further, he recorded 27 points on 8 of 12 shooting from the field, 10 rebounds, and just two turnovers.
Miami Heat vs Denver Game 1. Photo/SportsStar Hindu
Given the Heat’s lineup, Jokic might just continue to play like this throughout the series. It was about as flawless an offensive effort as you can muster.
Without some surprise play from their supporting cast and exceptional 3-point shooting, the Heat’s Cinderella run to the Finals would have remained a pipe dream at best.
In the Eastern Conference finals, for instance, Caleb Martin came close to winning MVP, while the squad as a whole shot 43.4% from deep against the Boston Celtics.
Such is one of the main uncertainties the Heats had getting into the Finals and there was so much more to this in the Nuggets game.
Up until the fourth quarter, where the score was clearly out of reach, the Heat’s outside shooting was dismal. Still, they managed to grab 13 of 39 (33.3%) shots.
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