Heat’s shooters come alive to even Finals with grinding win over Nuggets
DENVER — The Miami Heat made Michael Malone’s worst fears come true, pouring in open three-pointers as the Denver Nuggets’ inattentive defense couldn’t find an answer.
In the aftermath of the Nuggets’ resounding win in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Denver coach spent more time worrying about his team’s porous perimeter defense than he did celebrating. Sure enough, the Heat’s shooters, cold throughout the opener, came alive in a 111-108 victory in Game 2 at Ball Arena on Sunday night to even the series at a game apiece.
“If we would have won this game tonight, we would have stolen one,” Malone said. “The three-point line was a huge concern coming in. Tonight, the Heat buried us.”
During a grinding contest in which the re-energized Heat jumped out to a hot start and finished strong, Miami’s shooters, who went cold in Game 1, roared back to life. The Heat shot 17 for 35 from deep and posted big runs at the beginning of the first and fourth quarters to deal the Nuggets their first home loss of the postseason. Jimmy Butler served as closer down the stretch, and Miami dodged a potential game-tying three-pointer by Jamal Murray just before the buzzer to seize home-court advantage as the series shifts to Miami for Wednesday’s Game 3.
With two days to mull its flat showing in Game 1, Miami unveiled a new-look starting lineup that appeared determined to tamp down the bubbling talk of a possible sweep. Max Strus, who shot 0 for 10 in the series opener, hit four three-pointers in the first quarter alone, and the Nuggets’ defense scrambled to keep up.
Denver built an early lead in Game 1 by repeatedly posting up 6-8 forward Aaron Gordon on Martin, and Miami’s undersized lineup lacked the length and girth to properly protect the paint.
The Heat adjusted by deploying a bigger look, replacing the 6-foot-5 Caleb Martin, who missed practice Saturday with an illness, with Kevin Love in the starting lineup. The 6-8 Love, who had started for much of Miami’s playoff run, hadn’t played since Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. Pairing Love with center Bam Adebayo gave the Heat two big men to counter Nikola Jokic, who found the paint more crowded and wound up taking on more of the scoring burden as Denver’s typically balanced offense became one-dimensional in the second half.
“[Love] brings that veteran decorated playoff championship-level experience, and you can’t really quantify what that means,” Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s been here, he can infuse a bunch of confidence in the guys, and he just has a timeliness of his winning plays. He’s a tough competitor, and he’s had some really important moments in this playoff run.”
Denver didn’t waver when Miami built an 11-point lead in the first quarter, instead answering with a 27-6 run powered by Murray and the bench. With Jokic resting early in the second quarter, his supporting cast got hot from the outside and the Nuggets’ bench racked up 20 points by halftime.
The exchange of runs set up a grinding third quarter where neither team could generate much offensive flow. Jokic responded with a series of post-ups and a brilliant slow-motion coast-to-coast finish, scoring 18 of his game-high 41 points in the third quarter. However, the two-time MVP registered just four assists, his lowest total of the postseason.
But Miami didn’t collapse under Jokic’s onslaught as Duncan Robinson keyed a 12-0 run early in the fourth quarter. Gabe Vincent finished with a team-high 23 points and hit four three-pointers — he was one of six Heat players to hit at least two three-pointers — and Butler added 21 points, saving his best for last with a corner three-pointer and a running jumper through contact to keep the Heat in front in the fourth quarter.
“Our guys love to compete and put themselves out there in those moments of truth,” Spoelstra said. “We faced a lot of adversity during the regular season, and we handled it the right way. You’re not making excuses. Because of all that adversity, it hardened us. It steeled us. We developed some grit.”
A late Nuggets flurry came up short, leaving Malone to rip his team.
“Let’s talk about effort,” he said. “We had guys who were out there either feeling sorry for themselves or thinking they can turn it on or off. This isn’t the preseason. This is the NBA Finals. This is perplexing and disappointing. Miami came in here and outworked us.”