Heat hold off late Nuggets rally, even NBA Finals at 1-1

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Yaron Weitzman

FOX Sports NBA Writer

In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat swamped Nikola Jokic whenever he caught the ball. He only managed 12 field-goal attempts, but he dished out 14 assists in a Denver Nuggets victory.

In Game 2, the Heat went with a different approach. They’d do all they could to make life difficult for Jokic, but there’d be no swarming, no allowing Aaron Gordon open lanes to the rim, no easy jumpers for Jamal Murray coming off the pick-and-roll. Jokic finished with 41 points, and he shot 16-for-28 from the field. But he only connected on four assists and turned the ball over five times. He — and the Nuggets — had to work for their offense. And that, combined with some scorching shooting from the Heat, allowed Miami on Sunday to become the first team to win a game in Denver this postseason, as the Heat walked off the floor with a series-evening 111-108 victory.

The Heat were headed up, as usual, by Jimmy Butler, who finished the night with 21 points, to go with nine assists and four rebounds. Butler struggled with his shooting most of the night, but he caught fire in the fourth quarter, racking up eight points to help Miami hold on.

Gabe Vincent led the Heat in scoring with 23 points. Bam Adebayo added 21 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

Stats to know

17-35: The Heat from deep in Game 2

This, after going just 13-39 from deep in Game 1. Vincent connected on four of his six attempts. Max Strus, after misfiring on all 10 of his deep attempts in Game 1, went 4 for 10 in Game 2. Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson each drilled a pair. Even better? After getting only two total free throws as a team in Game 1, the Heat were 18 for 20 at the stripe Sunday.

+18: Kevin Love’s plus-minus

Love, after not seeing any action in Game 1, was inserted into the starting lineup in Game 2 and played a big role in the win. The five-time All-Star finished with six points and 10 rebounds, but was better than his box score. On offense, he helped space the floor, while on defense, his size and rebounding helped slow down the high-octane Nuggets just enough for the Heat to squeak out a victory.

Plays of the game

The Heat entered the fourth quarter trailing by eight. Then Robinson entered the game and ripped off eight points.

This stretch changed everything, and the Nuggets never recovered.

Up next for the Nuggets

The Heat’s decision to turn Jokic into a scorer might have made life difficult for the Nuggets, but statistically, their offense was fine. The problem was allowing Miami’s shooters to catch fire from deep. A lot of those makes — especially early on — came off defensive breakdowns, which allowed Miami’s shooters to get into a rhythm. That was no different in Game 1, when Miami just happened to misfire on a bunch of its open looks. The Nuggets are the better and more talented team, but if they allow the Heat to launch a bunch of clean triples, they’ll be susceptible to an upset.

Up next for the Heat

Butler looked good down the stretch. But once again he was passive throughout the first three quarters. Twenty-one points on 19 shots is not going to be enough for the Heat going forward. Then again, this Heat team continues to defy expectations. And if it can keep getting big contributions from role players like Vincent, Lowry and Robinson, maybe they can push this Nuggets team to the edge.

Yaron Weitzman is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. He is the author of “Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Most Audacious Process in the History of Professional Sports.” Follow him on Twitter @YaronWeitzman.

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