The Denver Nuggets made the most of the franchise’s first game of the NBA Finals, dominating the Miami Heat, 104-93, to take Game 1 on their home court.
While both teams seemed to have some nerve to start this game, the Nuggets quickly settled in and the Heat couldn’t do it at the same pace.
As the first half was completed, the Nuggets entered their locker room with a 17-point lead thanks to a highly efficient offense from Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, the two stars that make this team tick.
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Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets brings the ball up court during the second quarter against the Miami Heat in Game One of the 2023 NBA Finals at Ball Arena on June 1, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Murray was the focal point of the Nuggets’ scoring early in this game, going 8-of-12 from the field with two 3-pointers for a total of 18 points to lead the way in the first half.
He would finish the game with 26 points along with 10 assists and six rebounds.
There was a huge gap to start this game before Jokic even attempted a field goal as he was spreading the ball left and right to his teammates. He still posted a double-double at the half with 10 assists and 10 points.
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Once the second half rolled around, Jokic began to show his shooting ability, going 8-for-12 for 27 points on the night with 10 rebounds and 14 assists for another triple-double this postseason. Jokic has six triple-doubles in his last seven playoff games this year.
The Heat also seemed to have trouble defending Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. in the first half. Miami kept turning off the screens, causing mismatches for the Nuggets forward to exploit.
Gordon had 14 points, shooting 7-for-9 in the first half with five rebounds as well. Porter also had 10 points and seven rebounds.
Miami was able to cut the Nuggets’ lead from 24 at one point in the second half to nine, but the effort wasn’t enough as Denver regrouped and finished with their double-digit win.
Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets drives to the basket against Caleb Martin #16 of the Miami Heat during the first half of Game One of the 2023 NBA Finals at Ball Arena on June 1, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Kyle Terada – Pool/Getty Images)
It was a rough night for Miami star Jimmy Butler, who was 6-of-14 from the field for 13 points. Max Strus and Caleb Martin also had poor performances, going a combined 1-for-17, while Strus didn’t hit any of his 10 shots, nine of which came from threes.
As a team, the Heat have been the best postseason team in 3-point percentage in these playoffs, but they only shot 33.3% from center. They also only had two total free throws on the night.
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Not being able to hit 3s or get to the line is often a recipe for disaster.
Bam Adebayo was the only starter who really did well, as he went 13 of 25 from the field for 26 points with 13 rebounds and five assists. Gabe Vincent also added 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting.
Haywood Highsmith shot 7-for-10 off the bench for an astonishing 18 points. He also defended pretty well, which should help move playing time forward in this series. Kyle Lowry also had 11 points off the bench.
Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets celebrates during Game One of the 2023 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat on June 1, 2023 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Game 2 of this series will kick off in Denver on Sunday at 8 pm ET.