The Denver Nuggets did their best to keep the Miami Heat from stealing Game 2 on Sunday night, but their best wasn’t enough. Just like many times this postseason, the Heat found something extra late in the game to rally to a win.
The Heat entered the fourth quarter with an eight-point deficit before orchestrating a comeback to get an important 111-108 away win and tie the NBA Finals series.
Miami’s win was a true team effort, with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo scoring 21 points each and Gabe Vincent finishing the game with 23 points. Max Strus and Duncan Robinson were also in double digits in points.
“Our guys are competitors,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game. “They love these kind of moments.”
The Nuggets had another big performance by their superstar Nikola Jokic, who had 41 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. However, he had little help from the rest of the team, especially on the defensive end of the ball.
Speaking with reporters after the game, Denver’s head coach Mike Malone called out his players for lack of effort.
“Let’s talk about effort,” Malone said. “I mean, this is the NBA Finals, and we’re talking about effort. That’s a huge concern of mine. You guys probably thought I was just making up some storyline after Game 1 when I said we didn’t play well. We didn’t play well. … This is not the preseason. This is not the regular season. This is the NBA Finals.”
The NBA Finals series now moves to Miami, with Game 3 being scheduled for Wednesday.
