Jokic-Murray Duo Leads Denver to Game Three Win

   The Miami Heat have erased multiple double-digit deficits on several occasions in the 2023 playoffs. They trailed by as much as 21 points in Game Three of the 2023 NBA Finals Wednesday night. But unfortunately, there was no comeback in the cards this time at Kaseya Center.

Jokic-Murray Duo Dominates

   Nikola Jokic became the first player in league history to nab a 30/20/10 triple-double in an NBA Finals game with 32 points, 21 rebounds, and ten assists- leading the Denver Nuggets to a 109-94 Game Three victory. The Nuggets are now up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series as they righted many of their wrongs from their underwhelming Game 2 performance.

   Jamal Murray bounced back from his 18-point outing with 34 points, ten assists, and ten rebounds- making the Jokic-Murray duo the first to record triple-doubles in a Finals game.

The pair shot a combined four for eight from the three-point line, but also accounted for ten of Denver’s 14 turnovers. 

   Christian Braun put his stamp on the series with 15 points off the bench, while Aaron Gordon had 11 points, ten rebounds, five assists, and a steal in 34 minutes. Both were important contributors on a night where Michael Porter Jr. shot a dismal 1 of 7 from the field and whiffed on both his 3pt attempts, finishing with 2pts in 21 minutes of play.

   Nevertheless, the Nuggets shot 51.2% from the field despite going five for 18 from the three-point line. Denver also dominated the boards (58-33), including a 45-23 advantage on defensive rebounds. The Nuggets feasted on the inside- scoring 60 points in the paint. Something that Erik Spoelstra & Co. will need to clean up in order to bounce back in Game 4.

Miami Played Catch-Up All Game

   The Heat led by as much as five points in the early minutes of the first quarter but that was as good as it would get for Miami as they trailed the rest of the way afterwards. The Heat managed to cut the once 21-point Denver lead to nine points in the final minutes but it was too little too late. Once again, Miami lived and died by the 3 ball.

   Jimmy Butler led the way for the Heat with 28 points on 11 for 24 field goal shooting. Bam Adebayo added 22 points and 17 rebounds but shot seven for 21 from the field in 41 minutes. Gabe Vincent went two for ten from the field for seven points in 32 minutes, while

Caleb Martin had ten points off the bench.

   The Heat shot 37% from the field and managed to take advantage of Denver miscues, but were ultimately doomed by several cold spells throughout the contest.. It didn’t help that Max Strus and Duncan Robinson combined for just 12 points on four of ten shooting from long range. Overall, Miami shot 11 for 35 from deep.

   More importantly, the Miami defense failed to contain the Jokic-Murray duo. The duo’s pick-and rolls allowed Jokic to unlock his full offensive arsenal- something he didn’t do in Game Two.

Pivotal Game Four

   Game Four is set on Friday and is a series turning point for both teams. Winning Game Four allows the Heat to avoid heading back to Denver in a 3-1 hole, and needing to win out to keep their season alive. For this to happen, the Heat’s outside shooters need to wake up. Miami’s defense must also force Jokic to be more of a scorer while limiting Jamal Murray offensively especially in drive and kick situations.

   For Denver, it’s simple. Win Game Four and you can hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy as early as Game Five at home. However, the Jokic-Murray duo can’t do it alone. Michael Porter Jr., who has essentially disappeared in the Finals thus far, needs to reassert himself as a viable scoring option in a hurry.

-Iggy Gonzales

Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

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