Scoreboard
Heat 111, Nuggets 108 (Series tied, 1-1)
What went down
The Heat’s grit and determination came to the surface once again as they used a furious fourth quarter to topple the Nuggets and even the NBA Finals with one win apiece.
Down 83-75 heading into the final frame, the Heat went on a 17-4 run with 10 points from Duncan Robinson. The visiting team had control for most of the payoff period and were cruising to a Game 2 win as they built a 107-95 advantage with three and a half minutes remaining.
But the Nuggets, who already showed their comeback prowess earlier in the game when they built a 15-point second-quarter lead after being down by 11 points in the first, sliced the deficit to just three points after Nikola Jokic’s shot with 35.6 ticks left.
Jimmy Butler tried to cap off another stellar fourth-quarter performance but missed on a potential dagger triple at the top of the key. The Nuggets decided not to use a timeout as they raced down the court but Jamal Murray’s 3-point attempt missed and the Heat were able to hold on.
Big-time ballers
Three Heat players finished with at least 20 points in a balanced offensive attack led by Gabe Vincent who fired 23 points and drilled four 3-pointers.
Bam Adebayo had 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting plus nine rebounds and four assists. He was also instrumental as a playmaker that set up a lot of Miami’s perimeter players. Jimmy Butler, meanwhile, was clutch once again, scoring eight of his 21 points in the fourth. He also tallied four rebounds and nine assists.
For Denver, Nikola Jokic’s 41-point explosion came in a losing effort.
What he said
There is always a lot of noise surrounding the NBA Finals. From hot takes, deep analysis, and also a dab of absurd opinions, everyone has a lot to say at this time of the year. For Vincent and the Heat, they only have one thing on their minds.
.@SHAQ: "Are you guys a little upset that you're not getting the respect that you deserve?"
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 5, 2023
Gabe Vincent: "I speak for my whole team when I say we don't give a damn. We just want to get four wins." pic.twitter.com/Q1PuXsSZ7h
Did you see that?
In a series, pictures and moments can always tell the story of a particular game. For Game 2, this celebration from Duncan Robinson was unexpected coming from him yet surprisingly fitting with how the game was going as this basket capped off a 10-0 blast for Miami.
This will go down as one of the indelible images of Game 2.
MILE HIGH MEAN MUG FROM ROBINSON 😤 pic.twitter.com/uCjutEN8pn
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 5, 2023
