NBA Finals | Nuggets vs Heat | Game 2 Recap

Nuggets 108 vs Heat 111 | Ball Arena | Denver, CO | Series tied 1-1

Miami Burns Denver in Game 2

In an intense NBA Finals game, Miami defeated Denver in Game 2, tying the series 1-1 and bringing the championship closer for both teams. The game was a thrilling back-and-forth, with both teams trading the lead throughout. Despite Denver's strong start, overcoming an 11-point deficit at one point in the first to create a 57-51 halftime lead. Miami came back in the second half, taking control of the game and securing the victory in the way they do. With relentless defense and clutch offense.

The win for Miami was especially significant as it was on Denver's home court, helping them even out Denver's home-court advantage in the series. The game started with Miami on fire, Max Strus opened things making four straight threes a game after putting up a goose egg in game one. He didn't make another shot the rest of the game going 4-10, but he didn't need to when Nikola Jokic is the only Nugget player to score more than 18 points.

Game one was about Denver using their talent, size, and depth advantage to a dominant win. Aaron Gordon was a bully in the paint in game one scoring 12 in the first en route to 16 for the game. Game two saw him shrink and forget he is the bigger and stronger player than anyone on Miami's roster. After a game one that saw Denver defend as the bigger, longer, more athletic team drawing only one foul. Game two flipped that on its head giving up 20 free throw attempts and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope fouling out late in the fourth.

Many said Coach Malone was just "pushing buttons" and "grasping at straws to create a narrative of a 1-seed being an underdog." when he said after game one and before game two that Denver did not play well in their series-opening win. Even he heard the pundits spinning that narrative in his post-game presser where he stated "You guys probably thought I was making up some story line after game one when I said we didn't play well. We didn't play well." The fact is they didn't, and outside of quarter two in game two Denver never really looked like the better team in the way they did game one. In the series-opening loss Miami had one guy, Bam Adebayo, show up and dominate. Game two saw him get help from across the roster in the way that got Miami to the big dance.

Gabe Vincent had a team-high 23 points for Miami on an efficient 8-12 shooting from the field. Then you had Bam and Jimmy Butler both score 21 and combining for 13 rebounds and 13 assists. Duncan Robinson was clutch off the bench with 10 points while going 2-3 from behind the arch. Miami turned it around from three after an abysmal showing in game one going 48.6% from deep as a team in game two.

Denver was no slouch from the field slashing 52% FG/39.3% 3PT/86.4% FT. But that's not good enough when you have only one player score more than 18, efficiency is fine if you play lockdown defense and don't turn over the ball like Denver did last game. In game one Denver only gave up 6 points off turnovers. Miami had 10 on Jokic's five turnovers alone in game two. Miami thrives off turnovers and running in transition as it neutralizes the other teams size advantage. Despite Jokic having a game high 41 points and 11 rebounds, he only managed four

assists. When Jokic must score in bunches without anyone else pitching in at least 20+ it almost always spells doom for Denver. Jokic can score 40+ and Denver win, but that takes him getting into double digits in the assist column with his teammates hitting open looks they create by cutting and moving without the ball like they did the first time out. Instead, his teammates seemed more intent on watching him put on a show rather than being a part of it.

Outside of Jamal Murray who had 18, eight of which came in the fourth, no other Nugget scored more than 12 (Aaron Gordon). This led to Denver not having a single starter ending the game with a positive +/-. The Denver bench as actually pretty good with rookie Christian Braun outscoring the entire Heat bench at the half. It took five Heat bench players to match Denver's trio of Braun, Brown, and D'Uncle Jeff Green at 26 combined points. This should be a bright spot for the Nuggets film breakdown and will be needed to continue going forward. Everything else though, needs to be thrown out, baby, bath water, and tub.

You must give credit to Miami for being the hardest team to put away. They have zero quit and refuse to get shook by a bad loss, quarter, etc. They are just so consistent and even keeled you cannot give them even the smallest of openings as they will eventually tear the door off the hinges. The problem for them is, so are these Nuggets, who overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to finish the sweep against the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Unlike with Boston, Miami will get a renewed effort from Denver in Miami on Wednesday.

Now if Denver wants to win and not just participate in their first NBA Finals appearance, they will need Gordon and the rest of the roster to take those words to heart and re-find their own won't quit attitude that has identified their season and postseason as well. These are two teams that fight like starved hounds on the hunt, they will knock each other around. It really all comes down to effort, something else Coach Malone talked about in his post-game presser stating "Effort, that's the biggest issue to me. We are in the NBA Finals and talking about effort, that concerns me." As it should Denver fans, the good thing is, effort is something completely under

Denver's control. If it truly was a matter of effort on the defensive end and the lack thereof, that an easily be remedied over the next roughly 69 hours between the final whistle Sunday in Ball Arena and the opening tip-off in Miami on Wednesday.

As the series continues, it remains to be seen which team will ultimately come out on top. But for now, Miami can enjoy their hard-earned victory and see if they can capture that elusive momentum to push forward in the rest of the series. Or will Denver recapture the magic that has been this season and postseason? Join us back here after the game to discuss what will be sure to be another epic battle on the hardwood.