The Miami Heat are too stubborn to realize their talent shouldn’t have carried them this far, too stubborn to realize a knockout punch from the Denver Nuggets means they should stay on the mat, too stubborn to accept they shouldn’t have tied the NBA Finals on Sunday night. But, in their own words, they don’t give a damn.
About what the public thinks, about the Nuggets’ home record, about what Las Vegas says should be the outcome of this series.
The steely resolve again showed in a resounding way, as they hushed a celebratory crowd licking its fingers in anticipation for a title, flying back to South Beach by doing what they do best — stealing home-court advantage and making this Finals a true series.
Jamal Murray’s potential tying 3 looked on line but didn’t hit the mark, capping off a 111-108 Game 2 win at Ball Arena. It was on the back of one of the more impressive fourth-quarter showings in recent memory, shooting 69% and hitting 5-of-9 triples to erase an 8-point deficit entering the final 12.
They’d already picked themselves up following Denver tossing out the big Joker on the table, when the Nuggets took a 15-point lead in the second quarter — most of which occurred when Nikola Jokić was taking his customary rest.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo to the basket against Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon during Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Finals at Ball Arena in Denver on June 4, 2023. (Mark J. Terrill – Pool/Getty Images)
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo to the basket against Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon during Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Finals at Ball Arena in Denver on June 4, 2023. (Mark J. Terrill – Pool/Getty Images)
We’ve seen teams fold under this pressure, the seriousness of the Nuggets throughout these playoffs — most haven’t had the ability to concentrate for 2½ hours and stay stubbornly committed to a plan for whatever reason.—Agencies
