NBA Finals | Nuggets v Heat | Game 4 Recap

Nuggets 108 @ Heat 95 | Kaseya Center | Miami, FL | DEN leads series 3-1

Denver Dominates Again, Takes 3-1 Lead Over Miami.

Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your seats because I've got some electrifying news for you! The NBA Finals are in full swing, and the Denver Nuggets are absolutely on fire! They just won Game 4 against the Miami Heat with a thundering score of 108-95, securing a 3-1 lead in the series. Can you believe it? This puts them just one game away from winning the championship title for the first time in franchise history.

The Nuggets were a team on a mission. Their star center never really took control of the game, yet his teammates scorched the Heat defense. They didn't just rely on his greatness - the team played incredibly well. The hit an incredible 50% from three, they also managed to ravage the Heat's defense and score with free throws and easy inside buckets, with a stunning 49.5% shooting from the field. Essentially every other time Denver chucked up the rock no matter where it was on the court, it fell. This was all made possible thanks to their rock-solid defense, holding the Heat to just a 32% shooting rate from deep and 14 forced turnovers.

So, what about the Heat? Well, their superstar small forward tried his best, with a respectable haul of 25 points and 7 rebounds, but it just wasn't enough. The team struggled with consistency and couldn't get their role players going. Bam Adebayo also had a decent game 20 points and 11 rebounds. But their sniper Max Strus has went ice cold hitting four shots in four games. Gabe Vincent has made three shots in the last two games in Miami. When you have Kyle Lowry as your third leading scoring with only 13 off the bench, you are in trouble against a superior team like the Nuggets in this series.

The Nuggets on the other hand have had one player after another step up when it was needed most. A game after rookie Christian Braun became only the fourth rookie to drop at least 15 in a Finals game ever. Bruce Brown has 21 off the bench and starter Aaron Gordon showed his game one dominance was no fluke slamming home a game high 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. It wasn’t exactly a quiet night for the Denver duo. Jokic became the first player ever to score 500+ points, grab 250+ boards, and dish 100+ assists in a single postseason. Him and Murray also became only the third duo to each score at least 500 points and spread around 100+ assists in a single post season.

What's most impressive about the Nuggets' victory is that it came on the road, again, as the game took place in Miami. The Heat had the opportunity to defend their home court, but the Nuggets managed to silence their fans with a powerful display of basketball. It's a testament to their focus and determination - they knew that winning Game 4 was crucial, and they delivered when it mattered most. Denver fans should feel good, but not overly so, while teams are 35-1 after taking a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals history. That means it's not purely open and shut and if any team can make this a series again if you let them it’s this Miami Heat squad.

Now, all eyes are on Game 5. The Heat will need to play their best basketball of the season if they want to make a comeback and force a Game 6. They'll need to find a way to get their role players involved and limit the scoring of the Nuggets' supporting cast. Defensively, they'll need to be more aggressive and avoid giving the Nuggets easy looks at the basket. On the other hand, the Nuggets will look to seal the deal and clinch the championship title.

They'll be confident after their convincing victory in Game 4, but they won't take anything for granted. They know that the Heat will give them everything they've got, and they'll be prepared to respond to any challenge that comes their way.

Hero ball is what gets you seasons like the Lakers, Mavericks, and 76ers. There is a reason they are all on the couch watching the Nuggets and Heat battle it out for the only thing that matters, the Larry O’Brien trophy. Regular season MVPs and accolades be damned, these teams want rings.

Coach Malone brought up the supporting cast around his stars in his post-game presser. He stated "Usually in the regular season when Nikola went out things kinda went haywire. But I can say not just tonight, but throughout these playoffs, however many games we've played now the non- Nikola minutes have gone really well." They will need one more game for those non-Nikola minutes going well to get that elusive first chip.

But it's not over yet, dear readers! Game 5 will take place on Monday night in Denver and the Heat will be desperate to stay in the game. The momentum is with the Nuggets though, and they won't let go of this golden opportunity. They are one win away from writing history and becoming NBA champions. Are you excited? ‘Cause I sure am!