The Nuggets came into tonight’s game against the Heat as a prohibitive favorite, having won 10 straight against the NBA’s most notable “culture.” The Heat were coming off of a momentous one-point win against the Clippers, carrying with them the NBA’s third best offense and their typical tenacious, albeit undersized, defense and drive. For the 11th straight time, though, Miami wouldn’t have enough length, shooting, or grit to challenge a more talented Nuggets’ roster.
Nugget-Killer Norm started the first quarter by burying a three, then another, to give the Heat an early 10-7 lead despite five early points from Jokic. In the furious back and forth action that followed, both teams scored with ease through the six-minute mark, culminating in a 22-18 Miami advantage after Powell’s 10th and 11th points from the line. A no-call on a missed Cam Johnson drive led to Darth Norman hitting his third 3, giving the Heat a 27-20 lead and fully confirming this blogger’s pre-game concerns about the Nuggets’ perimeter defense.
Jokic settled things down with a steal and a dunk on a lovely Christian Braun feed in transition then an easy post-up to close the gap to 29-28. Good bench minutes from Watson (four rebounds) and Hardaway Jr. hitting a buzzer-beating three gave the Nuggets a 36-33 lead after one.
Denver dominated the glass to start the second with four offensive rebounds (nine overall). Another three from Hardaway Jr. built the Nuggets lead to 41-33, capping a 21-6 run for the good guys. Some sloppy play followed, though, allowing the Heat to cut the lead to 41-40 on a pair of drives and a bad Murray turnover. Spoelstra then dialed up a small-ball zone, which seemed to confuse the Nuggets’ second unit, leading to two Jaquez Jr. free throws and the Heat regaining the lead. As Jonas hit his first of two freebies on the other end, word came down that Bam Adebayo was questionable with a foot injury.
The starters re-entered the game and immediately reestablished control. Jokic went to work in the interior with Bam sidelined, scoring two quick ones to secure the lead. An AG three gave the Nuggets a 54-50 spread. After Powell added a pair of free throws, the intensity turned up as CB was fouled putting back his own driving miss. Mitchell struck back with a three, but a steal and Jokic feed to a crashing AG for his 15th first-half point followed by a posteresque Jokic-to-AG alley-oop gave the Nuggets a 61-57 lead. Cam finally connected on a wide-open three to increase the Nuggets lead to 7. A Jok tip-in and breakaway dunk(!) got the crowd on their feet to cheer the first double-digit lead of the night. At the half, the Nuggets led a scrappy Heat squad 68-60.
Bam didn’t re-enter the game at the half—a serious blow for Miami’s chances at a comeback. The Nuggets immediately targeted the interior with an AG lay-in and offensive rebound leading to a kick-out to CJ for his second three. After two Braun layups, the Heat called timeout down 80-66 and looking thoroughly out-matched.
Cam and Wiggins traded layups followed by a Wiggins three off an unusual Jokic turnover, getting the Heat back within nine. A Ware floater then sparked a Nuggets timeout to chill the run. Murray’s clean three and an AG put-back dunk re-secured a double-digit lead for the Nuggets. After a Murray three-point play, Jokic reached the 169 triple-double of his career (5th already this year), and Denver had a 91-77 lead, which the Nuggets would hold until the end of the quarter despite several missed gimmes by CB and PWat on Jokic dimes.
The fourth started with the bench getting revenge from their shaky 1st half. Bruce initiated the offense by hitting a three, PWat grabbed a career-high 9th rebound, and Jonas hit a hook shot to give the Nuggets a 16-point lead. The Heat then nabbed a couple of lazy passes and converted, prompting Adelman to call timeout with a tenuous 10-point lead.
The starters (sans Cam) re-entered the game around the 6-minute mark to close out the win. Jokic hit a floater followed by Hardaway Jr. sinking his fourth three, which was immediately matched by a Ware triple, shrinking the Nuggets’ lead to 115-106. A Jokic free throw and short jump hook, though, all but sealed the win with two minutes left. As the final buzzer sounded, Nikola had recorded his seventh 30/15/15 game, second only to Oscar Robertson with 11.
FINAL SCORE: Nuggets 122 | Heat 112
A FEW NOTES:
- Jokic has played 15 less minutes through 7 games than last year
- Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with a season-high 18 points on 7-12 shooting
- The Nuggets’ 61 rebounds were the most since May of 2021
- Denver has now beaten Miami 11 straight times in the regular season
NEXT GAME: Golden State Warriors, Friday, November 7th, 8 p.m.
