The Denver Nuggets had to wait a long time to get things started in the NBA Finals. After sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, they had to wait nearly a week to learn their opponent as the Eastern Conference Finals went to seven games. In the end, it was the No. 8 seed Miami Heat that prevailed over the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics.
The Nuggets didn’t look like a team that took an unexpected break before the biggest games in their franchise history as they jumped the Heat early and never looked back. A big reason for their hot start was Nikola Jokic, who continues to play at a high level.
“That’s the beauty of Nikola,” Malone said of Jokic not looking to score aggressively to start the game. “I learned a long time ago, the defense tells you what to do, and Nikola never forces it. If they’re going to give him that kind of attention, he had 10 assists at halftime. Well, he’s going to just pick you apart.”
NBA NEWS & FINALS COVERAGE: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets & Miami Heat Updates
Heading into the game, Miami made it clear their No. 1 priority was trying to take Jokic out of the game. So, they tried turning him into a facilitator, making his teammates beat them and for Game 1, they were up to the task.
One of the players who stepped up was Aaron Gordon. Known more for his impact as a defender, Gordon took full advantage of the opportunities that were presented to him offensively against the undersized Heat.
He scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, grabbing six rebounds with one assist and making his presence known on the defensive end. He drew a lot of praise from head coach Michael Malone, who couldn’t have been happier with Gordon’s performance.
“Yeah, I think Aaron — we always talk about Nikola embodying Nuggets culture, and I think Aaron Gordon is a prime example of somebody who’s truly selfless. He understood with Jamal and Michael coming back this year being healthy that his role was going to change. He never once fought it,” Malone said of Gordon. “He’s embraced it from day one of the season and gone out there, whether it’s guarding Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and now obviously guarding a guy like Jimmy Butler. He does a lot of the dirty work for us, and a lot of times he doesn’t get the credit that he deserves.”
NBA NEWS & FINALS COVERAGE: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets & Miami Heat Updates
Jamal Murray also had a big game in the series opener. He scored 26 points to go along with 10 assists as he and Jokic took turns just picking apart the Heat’s defense as facilitators and scorers. His return after missing last season because of a torn ACL has been a major boost for the entire team.
“We just want to win a championship,” Murray said. “I think it’s just fluent, beautiful basketball. The ball is hopping, and we’re just playing off each other. You can have a great game with only five shots until the fourth.
“Just making reads on the basketball court. I think that’s the beauty of what this team is. We have so many different weapons and so many different looks. You’ve got to guard everybody. Jokic dominated until the fourth quarter, and it didn’t even feel like it. Yeah, it’s free flowing, and it’s a lot of fun.”
NBA NEWS & FINALS COVERAGE: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets & Miami Heat Updates
Game 1 was a dominating performance by the Nuggets, who led by as many as 24 points in the game, while the only lead the Heat had was by one point very early on. Malone was able to keep up with Erik Spoelstra when it came to making in-game adjustments and the players responded.
After a hard-fought series against the Celtics, where their role player stepped up on a nightly basis, the Heat seemed to be low on gas in Game 1. Caleb Martin and Max Strus combined to shoot 1-of-17 while Jimmy Butler went 6-of-14.
Denver was able to take them out of their game and play defense without fouling, as the Heat attempted only two free throws in the game. Expect them to come out more aggressive in Game 2 as they look to even the series up.
NBA NEWS & FINALS COVERAGE: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets & Miami Heat Updates
The Nuggets know that winning a championship won’t be easy and that they will be tested by a tough Miami team. But, if they can execute their game plan as successfully as they did in Game 1, they are going to be tough to beat.
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