The Nuggets played the first half like they’d heard the message. … I believe that maybe us losing a game at home for the first time in the postseason and playing the way we did, you never want to go through that, but you have to take a negative and make it into a positive, and maybe that’s a wake-up call.” It was a constructive film session where everybody had a chance to speak up. “And yesterday’s film session wasn’t an emotional film session,” Malone said. In the days since Denver’s Game 2 loss, the Nuggets re-grouped with a dinner at Jeff Green’s Miami home and then held a frank film session that spared nobody. But yeah, that conversation will just kind of remain private.” I do that for everybody, not just Jamal Murray. It’s also just to be there for them and provide whatever support I can. My job is not just to applaud guys when they’re playing well. My job is not just to point out mistakes. “He understands how much I care about him, not just as a player but as a person. “He understands how important he is to this team,” Malone said. Without divulging any details of their conversation, Malone alluded to the tenor of it. Jokic dissected the Heat’s defense for 12 in the quarter, and Denver carried an 82-68 lead into the fourth.ĭuring a quiet moment at Tuesday’s practice, Malone threw his arm around Murray and issued some words of encouragement to his star guard. The lead eventually ballooned to 19, as Denver’s confidence, buoyed by its rowdy bench, rose. He even ripped the ball on one opportunity and took off for a dunk the other way. Always moving, rookie Christian Braun made himself invaluable with his savvy reads and baseline cuts. Jokic flashed his soft touch from the mid-range and then stepped outside and buried a 3-pointer from the wing. And if the Nuggets didn’t score on the initial try, their effort on the second-chance glass was rewarded. They worked the ball inside, leaning heavily on their size advantage. The Nuggets played outstanding two-way basketball for the entire third quarter and put themselves on the precipice of a monster road win. Jimmy Butler managed 28 points, and Bam Adebayo added 22, but both were extremely inefficient in their process. Their 58-33 edge on the glass was a microcosm of their dominance. The Nuggets had corrected the lapses from Game 2 and responded. (two points) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (six) were immaterial. “That’s greatness,” said Aaron Gordon of the duo’s performance. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) Nikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets scores over Bam Adebayo (13) of the Miami Heat in the first quarter during Game 3 of the NBA Finals at the Casey Center in Miami on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. “He’s reading the game really well,” Jokic said, reiterating his stance that Murray is a leader in the locker room. Of Murray, he was most proud of the way he rebounded after a difficult Game 2. Of Jokic, Malone said he’s never surprised by what he’s able to do on the court. “It speaks for itself, bro,” Murray said of Jokic’s dominance. Jokic annihilated the Heat inside, propelling a 60-34 advantage in points in the paint.
It was ruthless and relentless, and the type of performance that can help carve a legacy. Even though Duncan Robinson connected on a couple late 3-pointers, most Heat fans who’d left with more than three minutes remaining weren’t there to see them.Īfter the Heat believed they’d found something defensively for Jokic, the two-time MVP systematically destroyed their defense for a 32-point, 21-rebound, 10-assist triple-double. Up 2-1 in the series, they can get greedy come Friday’s Game 4. Behind dueling 30-point triple-doubles from Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, Denver’s two franchise pillars, the Nuggets wrested homecourt advantage back from Miami after ceding it in Game 2. With surgical passing and physical, hard-nosed play, the Nuggets seized control of the NBA Finals with a dominant 109-94 win in Game 3. The Nuggets stormed into South Beach and stomped the life out of the crowd on Wednesday night. MIAMI – The only thing coursing through the white-hot crowd was an artificial bass. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu
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