The Nuggets are more than just the Nikola Jokic show

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With a minute left in a Game 4 that he had long since put to bed, Denver Nuggets reserve Bruce Brown saw the Miami Heat’s Duncan Robinson in front him and dribbled into an isolation 3-pointer he had made just four times in his previous 2,770 minutes this season. This is how comfortable Denver is in these NBA Finals.

“When he did a step-back 3, I wanted to punch him,” joked Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, whose foul trouble coincided with the customary Heat rally to open the fourth quarter, “but when he made it, I was so happy.”

Brown and teammate Aaron Gordon combined for 48 points on 19-of-26 shooting (73.1%) on a night when Jokic and Jamal Murray were not the unstoppable scoring duo they had been in their Games 1 and 3 victories against Miami, and Denver rolled to a second straight road win, 108-95, to take a 3-1 series lead.

The Nuggets can secure the franchise’s first NBA championship at home in Game 5 on Monday night.

If ever there were a game to steal and reel in a series that is slipping away against the league’s most potent offense, this was it for the Heat. Forty-eight hours from their historic 30-point triple-doubles, Jokic and Murray were not torching the South Beach night. They totaled 38 points on 13-of-36 shooting (36.1%), and still the Nuggets found their way to the 119 points per 100 possessions they have been posting all playoffs.

When asked about his 23 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks — numbers only ever matched in the Finals by LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Tim Duncan — Jokic scoffed at a statistical line that stands as a testament to how much we expect from the Serbian and he expects from himself.

“It’s not big — 23, 12 and 4?” said Jokic, who missed 11 of his 19 shots and rolled an ankle in the opening quarter. “Fourth ever to 23, 10 and 4? I mean, I don’t know. Nice. It’s good. I really don’t know what to say.”

Jokic picked up his fourth and fifth fouls in a 17-second span early in the fourth quarter. The Heat had already shaved three points off of Denver’s 13-point lead at the start of the frame, and they added five more to close within 86-81 with 8:42 still…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2023-06-10 08:49:11

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