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“The job is done. We can go home now.” —unanimous Finals MVP Nikola Jokic
A lot of people tend to write series off when they get to 3-1 — and most often, rightfully so — but teams still have to go out there and make that fourth win happen. As the saying goes, “it’s not first to three, it’s first to four,” and the Miami Heat are just about the last team anyone wants to see with their backs against the wall.
Denver had to play from behind for much of this game because of an especially frantic Miami, but their defense came together when it needed to, choking the Heat offense into a stretch of 15:17 from the third to fourth quarter allowing just 16 points from the Heat, while scoring 30 over the same stretch themselves.
At one point, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were outscoring Miami in the second half by themselves, 27-25. That final tally for the second half looked more like 29-38 (50-38 as a team) after the Heat made their final push, but Denver’s two stars would not be denied, the same way Jokic would not be denied in throwing tackling his star running mate into a pool.
Jokic capped off his incredible postseason run with a 28-point (12-16 FG), 16-rebound, and 4-assist night as he earned his Bill Russell Finals MVP hardware along the way, which he unanimously won with all 11 votes. Over the 20 games, he averaged 30.0 points (54.8% FG and 46.1% 3P), 13.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists with an NBA-record 10 triple-doubles.
Murray scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half and dished out eight assists, impacting games in ways you don’t first think of just like Michael Porter Jr., who grabbed a playoff career high-tying 13 rebounds in the wake of brutal struggles from behind the arc throughout the series.
On the other side, a postseason run that was littered with white-hot shooting performances fell ice cold in the Rocky Mountains with Miami shooting just 25.7% from three and 34.4% overall. Jimmy Butler, who had both a turnover and missed three-pointer in the final 30 seconds, finished with 21 points on 5-18 shooting after starting 2-12.
“I still believe with everything in me that we will [win a championship]… I’m grateful that we made it here. We came up short, but I’m blessed. I’m fortunate.”
Jimmy Butler speaks on coming up short in the Finals.
(via @BallyHEAT)pic.twitter.com/J3sZuOLBrw
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 13, 2023
That “we” could look quite different for Miami next season with starting guards Gabe Vincent and Max Strus set to hit free agency and Damian Lillard rumors already spreading like wildfire before their season was even over.
Denver, meanwhile, is poised to maintain their chokehold over the rest of the NBA with all five starters under contract, Jokic established in concrete as the NBA’s best right now, and the first chance for Murray to play consecutive seasons since his long ACL injury.
But before they move into the “we want more” stage that Michael Malone referred to during the trophy ceremony, the Nuggets have a parade they can look forward to dread.
