The NBA Finals rematch between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat saw the former defeat the Eastern Conference team to claim their first-ever championship. In their first meeting of the season, the Nuggets held on for a 103-97 victory at the Ball Arena on Thursday night, even in the face of a gritty comeback by the Heat.
With 30 points and 11 rebounds, Michael Porter Jr. led the Denver victory, while Nikola Jokic and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope each scored 18 points to aid the Nuggets in victory.
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, who scored 21 and 22, respectively, carried the Heat. Now that the game is over, enjoy these key moments and plays from the highly anticipated matchup between the two teams.
Highlights and results of the Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets game: The game’s top five moments
5. Jamal Murray makes an incredible 3-pointer in the last seconds of the first quarter despite being doubled
Jamal Murray’s hot streak is rarely over, and in the final moments of the first quarter, the Nuggets guard once again displayed his handles. Nikola Jokic handed the ball to Murray with Denver leading 33–20, but Murray was quickly doubled by Heat rookies Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Caleb Martin.
But he was undeterred, stepping back as the buzzer sounded, letting the ball fly, and catching it. The Nuggets ended the quarter up 36-20.
4. Michael Porter Jr. keeps up his impressive performance
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. finished the game with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists. When the Heat were cutting into Denver’s advantage in the third quarter, that was when he had the greatest performance.
With the scoreboard reading 71-65 and the Heat down five, Porter had a pass from Jokic that went just past the arc. Bam Adebayo challenged him, and the former sank a three-pointer to extend the lead to 28 points, 74-65.
3. Nikola Jokic’s circus shot
Despite being doubled by Butler and Martin, Nikola Jokic’s showmanship was evident when he made a circus shot. Jokic had the ball and the Nuggets were ahead 90–81 with 6:41 remaining in the fourth quarter. Martin was closing in on him when Butler entered the game for the Serbian. Butler dived to the right and attempted a half-toss and a hook, successfully sinking it.
2. Jimmy Butler and Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s relationship is still growing
When the Heat were down 90-79, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Jimmy Butler, a rookie and veteran duo, showed how focused they were. As the Heat tried to surge back into the game, they were able to reduce their lead to single digits thanks to a lob to Butler, who was wide open.
1. Jimmy Butler brings the Heat within two points in the final seconds of the fourth quarter
Jimmy Butler displayed his skill in the final minutes of the competition. Miami took a 99-95 lead when Butler recovered the ball from Caleb Martin, who was rebounding on a Heat possession, with 16.2 seconds left. He made a layup past two Denver defenders to make the game 99-97. However, this would be the last point the Heat would score in this game.
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