NBA Finals Game 1 – The Nikola Jokic Fear

In Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals on Thursday night, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat 104-93, winning their first NBA Finals game in franchise history. With a potent half-court offence and strong defence, they put on a tremendous show in their first NBA Finals game in team history. 

NBA Finals Game 1 Brief Highlights

The Nuggets tormented the Heat in the court early on, taking advantage of their size advantage to grab easy basket after easy basket. They were able to establish an early advantage thanks to this strategy, which they never gave up. The Heat made a late push to make the final score acceptable, but the Nuggets maintained a double-digit lead for the overwhelming part of the game, leading by as much as 24 in the third quarter.

Nikola Murray and Gordon Star in NBA Finals Game 1

With 27 points, 14 assists on 8 of 12 field goal attempts, and 10 rebounds in his debut Finals game, Nikola Jokić totally dominated the contest. Aaron Gordon added 16 points, while Jamal Murray added 26 of his own points, six rebounds, and 10 assists. The Heat would have fallen by a larger margin if Bam Adebayo’s 26 points had not been scored.

Nikolas Facilitation Role – Nuggets Strategy in NBA Finals Game 1

Knowing that Nikola Jokić would figure majorly in the Miami Heat’s zonal defensive scheme, Malone, the Denver Nuggets coach, made Jokić the main facilitator. Jokić started the game by providing assist after assist and virtually went the entire the initial stretch without taking a shot.

Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon were able to take advantage of the space beneath the basket created by Jokic’s assignment to distribution as the Nuggets won Game 1 104-93.

Denver’s role-playing power forward Gordon had a huge start to the game. The former All-Star created room in the paint by dodging Miami’s zone defence and shooting 6-8 to score 12 points in just the first quarter.

NBA Finals Game 1 – Poor Show from Miami Team Except Bam

Jimmy Butler only scored 13 points on 14 shots, while Bam Adebayo led the way for the losing team with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. Miami’s Haywood Highsmith, who scored 18 points as a sub, was another significant contributor.

However, the key Miami players who assisted them in getting here were missing.

Up until the fourth quarter, when the game was essentially decided, the Heat’s perimeter shooting was terrible; even then, they managed just 13 of 39 shots. 

While Gabe Vincent performed admirably by scoring 19 points, fellow openers Max Strus and Caleb Martin, who have both excelled in these playoffs, did not. On 1-17 shooting, including 1-11 from beyond the arc, Martin and Strus totaled for just three points.

Although some decline following the conference finals was expected, no one could have guessed that Martin, Strus, and Robinson’s performance would be that poor. It should go without saying that if the Heat are to have a chance of surviving this series, that three will need to resume their play. 

How Miami Gets Back

Miami has a chance to recover on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET, in Denver, Game 2