The Denver Nuggets beat the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the 2023 NBA Finals behind the stellar play of center Nikola Jokic and point guard Jamal Murray. Both stars recorded a triple-double against small forward Jimmy Butler’s squad.
“We’re going to get back to the film and figure it out because we do have to be better guarding both of those guys,” Butler said. “One is the ball-handler and one is the guy that is setting the screen and popping and rolling. It’s not an easy task to do, but if we want to win, we are going to have to figure it out.”
Jokic and Murray are the first pair of teammates to record triple-doubles in an NBA Finals game. The Nuggets reclaimed home-court advantage in the series by winning Game 3 in Miami and now the pressure shifts back to the Heat for Game 4.
NBA NEWS & FINALS COVERAGE: Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray & Denver Nuggets Updates
“Their games really complement each other,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “You have one guy that really can score in a lot of different ways. Another guy who is setting great screens or handoffs, and if the ball gets back to him, he can get a bunch of people involved.”
“Certainly at the beginning of game, that kind of set the tone,” Spoelstra explained. “But from there, we lost a lot of physical 50/50 or ball-in-the-air, ball-on-the-floor battles throughout the course of the game at key moments. When the moments could have been swing moments, they were coming up with those plays.”
NBA NEWS & FINALS COVERAGE: Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray & Denver Nuggets Updates
Jokic had 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists in Game 3, while Murray put up 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The Nuggets are now two wins away from winning their first championship in franchise history.
“That made it too much to overcome,” Spoelstra said. “The dynamic of those two, but also getting all the extra, effort points.”
Want the latest in NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
