The Miami Heat were in a tough spot in the NBA Finals, down 2-0 in a hostile arena, where no road team had won in over two months. However, the Heat are not ones to back down. They have been finding ways to win all throughout the postseason, and against all odds, they did it again.
The Heat won game 2 of the NBA Finals, tying the series, even when they had to overcome a huge effort from Nikola Jokic’s 41-point game. Both Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo contributed 21 points each, while Gabe Vincent scored 23 points.
Miami Heat coach, Erik Spoelstra, said that the team’s win comes from their competitive nature, ‘our guys are competitors. They love these kind of moments.’ Miami Heat’s journey to win the game was not a smooth one – they were down by 15 points, eight going into the fourth quarter, and the numbers didn’t make for a promising outcome.
But the Heat were not going down without a fight, outscoring Denver 17-5 in the first 3:17 of the fourth quarter. They eventually lead by 12, but the game got close again at the end. To secure the win, they had to survive a 3-point try by Jamal Murray as time expired.
‘We gutted it out,’ said Bam Adebayo, showing the fighting spirit of Miami Heat. The Heat were able to claw their way back with Max Strus scoring 14 and Duncan Robinson adding 10, all of which were scored in the fourth quarter. The Heat had a huge lead, then found themselves down by 15, and the team had no solutions for Jokic, who delivered an outstanding performance of 16 of 28 from the floor. With 36 seconds left, Jokic’s last 4-footer shot brought Denver Nuggets within just three points but unfortunately, Jamal Murray failed to score a game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer.
Miami’s victory also saw Strus redeem himself, as he was 0 for 10 in Game 1, but he managed to have four 3-pointers in the first quarter of Game 2. Butler made a jumper with 4:56 left in the opening quarter to put Miami at 21-10, tying the second-biggest lead any opponent had built in Denver so far in these playoffs. But that lead was quickly gone, as the Nuggets outscored Miami 32-11 over the next 9 minutes, with Murray scoring five straight points to end the flurry and Denver led 44-32 and it seemed like everything was going Denver’s way.
Miami’s journey to the finals has seen them win 44 games by five points or less this season, which is a testament to their grit and determination. Vincent said, ‘when it comes down to the wire, we’re strangely comfortable.’
Game 3 is scheduled for Wednesday in Miami, and it’s still unclear if the Heat’s Tyler Herro will be able to play
Commissioner Adam Silver recently talked about how expansion talk is starting to arise, and he thinks there are a lot of great cities that the NBA could expand to in the future. However, the priority for now is to negotiate the next media rights deal, and Silver anticipates that the media deal negotiations will begin ‘in earnest probably this next spring.
Jokic had a fantastic game, becoming the 14th NBA player to score at least 41 points in a finals loss. Aaron Gordon also had a good game with 12 points, along with Bruce Brown who scored 11.
Heat made changes in their starting lineup in Kevin Love, coming back in the opening five and Caleb Martin coming off the bench. The Heat’s win gave them their 13th win of these Playoffs, breaking a tie with the 1999 New York Knicks for the most ever by a No. 8 seed
The loss was hard-hitting for Denver, who had not lost a game since May 7 — a gap of almost four weeks. Denver legends Alex English, LaPhonso Ellis, and David Thompson were among those in attendance.
The Heat, who have persevered throughout the postseason, managed to tie the series in a fantastic game against the Nuggets. Although the Nuggets had a lead for most of the game, the Heat managed to achieve victory in the final minutes of the game, indicating that they never lose their fighting spirit. Their victory is a testament to their hard work, perseverance, and dedication to win.
Miami Heat’s journey in the NBA Finals has been an exciting ride so far. With Game 3 scheduled for Wednesday in Miami, the Heat will look to maintain their momentum, while the Nuggets will look to bounce back after their loss. With the playoffs heating up, only time will tell who will come out on top.
Injured Heat guard Tyler Herro played a 2-on-2 game on Saturday as he continues his attempts to return from a broken hand in these finals.
Michael Malone, coach of the Denver Nuggets, sounded the alarm again after a Game 2 loss, echoing the team’s lack of discipline in the game: ‘They just played hard, and like I said, it was more discipline. It’s defeating when you’re giving up mistake after mistake, and it’s not them beating you, you’re giving them open dunks or open shots. That’s tough to come back from.’
The Miami Heat have consistently proved to be a strong team, and this year’s NBA playoffs have been a testament to their strength and determination. However, they will need to keep their eye on the ball and continue to fight if they want to come out on top.
With expansion talks surfacing and Miami already doing well in the playoffs, all eyes will be on the Heat to see how they play in their upcoming games. As for the Nuggets, they will need to regroup to stay in the running.