DENVER – His post-game interview ended, and Nikola Jokic made his way to a tunnel lined with fans intent on welcoming him there. one last best player Hymn to the two-time winner. One last roar. After watching the seven-foot-tall Serbian rip through the Miami defense, watch him spin and twist and make his way to another triple-double, and watch the Nuggets run home in a 104-93 win in Game 1, the gold-clad swarms free of drama. Fans crowded in front of the Ball Arena railings to let the local Colorado star know how much they appreciated him.
One game, one win but with Miami dropping into a 0-1 hole you had to wonder if this is where the Heat’s Cinderella season would end. this The game Miami can win, Miami can steal. Denver was suspended for 10 days after being passed by the razor-sharp Lakers after a seven-game series with Boston. Before the game, Michael Malone issued a warning: Miami went Milwaukee, New York, and Boston and took Game 1 of that series. Malone said, “We didn’t want them to come over here and take over the series in our court.”
they did not. Aaron Gordon set the tone early on. Going into the series, Gordon was expected to be Denver’s primary blocker for Jimmy Butler, and was, forcing Butler more shots (14) than points (13), and for plus/minus fans out there, a team low -17. Still, it was Gordon’s offense that got Denver going early. With Miami electing to switch defense, Gordon took advantage, scoring 12 points in the first quarter, leading the Nuggets to a nine-point lead.
From there he had a lot of help. Denver’s insult is as selfless as it is surgical. Jamal Murray scored 26 points. Michael Porter Jr. starred in 14. Off the bench, Bruce Brown added 10. Of the Nuggets’ 40 shots, 29 of them came as an assist.
“We’re just reading the game,” Murray said. “If they take the pocket away, we look elsewhere. If they take me away, we look elsewhere. We just try to find the open man, find the best shot, find the mismatch. I think we do that throughout the game.”
“It’s hard to protect everyone, rather than just a guy or two. We make you have to stay on defense the whole game. I think tonight was just a great example that it can be anyone’s night and anyone’s quarter, maybe not your quarter. That’s just Nuggets basketball.” .
Porter Jr.’s scoring impact went beyond. Collect 13 rebounds. He blocked two shots. He was part of a Denver defensive effort that set Caleb Martin to three points and held Max Strauss scoreless. “Even when he doesn’t hit the ball well, he affects the game in different ways,” said Murray. Malone added, “I think we’re past the point of applauding Michael when he plays a good defensive game.”
Then there is Joki. Miami made it through this playoff by overwhelming opponents with unwanted defenses, but none of those opponents were from Denver and none had Jokic, who spent most of his 40 minutes dissecting Heat attempts to overwhelm him. He had four points in the first quarter…but had six assists. He had 10 in the half…but he actually hit a double-double. In the fourth quarter, when Miami briefly cut the lead to single digits, Jokic responded with 12 points to put the game out of reach.
Joki answered every criticism in this playoffs, about his offense (not lined by law), his defense (not as bad as many think), about his ability to lead a team deep into the playoffs. There is nothing forced about Jokić’s game, just a natural instinct to make the right play every time.
“Nicola never tries to impose his will or force things that don’t exist,” said Malone. “He will read the game. He will do the right job. Most importantly, he will make every one of his teammates better.”
Jokic said, “That’s how I learned to play basketball, and I think it’s really cool [way] to play. It’s really hard to protect when you don’t know who’s going to attack and how to defend when everyone’s moving, everyone’s doing something. I think it’s a really great brand of basketball that we have, and everyone buys it.”
In fact, everyone in Denver has bought it. Everyone is on the same page. This season, this series is the culmination of years of work, from developing Jokić from a tough second-round pick into the most dominant player in the NBA, to relieving Murray and Porter Jr.’s injuries, to acquiring Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the starting reserve Which gave the Nuggets a defensive identity. They have an inner belief and confidence they have in themselves and their teammates, Malone said, and they go out there and continue to show and prove every night.
They did on Thursday. Three more times and Denver will take the NBA title.