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The underdogs leveled the series despite Nikola Jokic’s 41 points. Gabe Vincent scored 23 points, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo each had 21, and the Miami Heat tied the NBA Finals by overcoming a monster effort from Nikola Jokic to defeat the Denver Nuggets 111-108 in Game 2 on Sunday night.
Max Strus had 14 and Duncan Robinson 10 for the Heat, who had a big early lead but fell behind by as many as 15 before regaining the lead in the fourth. Miami outscored Denver 36-25 in the final period, erasing an eight-point deficit in the final frame.
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Jokic scored 41 points and was 16-of-28 from the floor, the last of those shots coming from four feet with 36 seconds left to get the Nuggets within three.
Denver decided not to mess up in the next game against Miami. Butler missed a 3-pointer, and Jamal Murray, who had a chance to tie the game, hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
However, the game was not without controversy. Two questionable calls in the second half hurt both teams. The first came when Butler appeared to step out of bounds before making a crucial pass to Vincent for a 3-pointer. After further review, it was clear that the play should have been called dead. Regardless, the missed call gave the Heat three points. Another controversial call involved a possible goal-line foul on Bam Adebayo’s shot attempt by Jamal Murray. The block was called clean on the floor, but replays showed it should have been called a goaltender, potentially giving Denver two points. Those questionable calls ended up affecting the outcome of the game when the Heat were awarded five extra points that they might not have earned.
Despite the controversial calls, the post-match discussion focused on the energy, effort, and level of play of both teams. This season, the Nuggets, who have the best record in the Western Conference, held double-digit leads at various points in the game but struggled to keep up with the relentless Miami Heat.
“Our guys like to compete,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game. “They like to feed on those moments of truth.”
Spoelstra emphasized Vincent’s praise. “He is a special man. He really is,” he said of Vincent, who was undrafted out of college but was excellent in the playoffs this year.
Murray had 18 points and 10 assists for Denver; Aaron Gordon had 12, and Bruce Brown had 11. Jokic had four assists, down from 14 in Game 1. Nuggets coach Michael Malone said after the game that he was not impressed with some of the goals and performances of his players.
“It’s the NBA Finals, and we’re talking about effort,” he said. “That’s my big concern. I probably made up some story after Game 1 that we didn’t play well, but we didn’t play well. It’s not the preseason or the regular season; it’s the NBA Finals. Miami came here and beat us.”
The third game will be played on Wednesday in Miami. Denver was 11-0 in the playoffs with a double-digit lead.
In an exhilarating match, the tides turned quickly as Strus, who had 0-10 in Game 1, hit four impressive 3-pointers in the first quarter of Game 2. Butler added to the excitement by nailing a jumper with 4:56 left in the opening quarter to give the team a 21-10 lead and matching one of the largest leads by an opponent in Denver during these playoffs. However, the lead slipped away as the Nuggets staged a remarkable comeback, outscoring Miami 32-11 in the following nine minutes turning a double-digit deficit into a double-digit lead with a flurry of three-pointers and an impressive layup. In just 70-second the Nuggets transformed their double-digit deficit into a commanding lead.
The second quarter saw a relentless display of long-range shooting from Denver, with four different players—Brown, Green, Murray, and Gordon each sinking consecutive threes in a breathtaking 70-second stretch. Murray’s five consecutive points further solidified Denver’s control, ending the run with a 44-32 lead. Despite Miami’s efforts to narrow the gap, closing it to 57-51 at halftime, their early momentum had vanished.
The battle intensified as both teams fought fiercely, refusing to let the other gain a significant advantage. However, in the fourth quarter, Miami found a way to seize the moment and gradually pulled away from Denver. With an electrifying finish, the Heat secured a hard-fought victory. Throughout the game, the players showcased their skills and resilience, captivating fans with their extraordinary performances and keeping spectators on the edge of their seats until the very end.
The Miami Heat staged a remarkable quarter-final rally to defeat the Denver Nuggets 111-108 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, tying the series despite a stellar performance from Nikola Jokic. Gabe Vincent led the Heat with 23 points, closely followed by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo each had 21 as the Miami Heat evened up the NBA finals in Game 2 on Sunday night.
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