At Thursday’s morning shootaround, hours before the first game of the NBA Finals, Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone put his team to the test with a pop quiz. With a nine-day break behind them, Malone wanted to ensure that the Nuggets were focused and ready for action. Thanks to the leadership of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, the Nuggets emerged victorious in Game 1, defeating the Miami Heat 104-93 before a packed crowd at Ball Arena.
Jokic, despite only taking five shots in the first three quarters, continued his triple-double streak this postseason. He achieved 27 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds, making him, alongside Jason Kidd, one of only two players to debut in the NBA Finals with a triple-double. Jokic’s assist total also set a new record for a player’s first Finals game. Furthermore, he has now managed a triple-double in seven of his last nine playoff games, maintaining his postseason average.
Commenting on Jokic’s performance, Malone said, “That’s the beauty of Nikola. I learned a long time ago, the defense tells you what to do, and Nikola never forces it. If they’re going to give him that kind of attention, he had 10 assists at halftime. Well, he’s going to just pick you apart.”
The Nuggets, still undefeated at home this postseason, believe they can overcome any defense using various strategies. Jokic’s versatile skill set, combined with Murray’s ability to control the game through passing when double-teamed, presents a formidable offense. In his Finals debut, Murray contributed 26 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds in 44 minutes, scoring 18 of those points by halftime.
Aaron Gordon, who traded to Denver from Orlando during the 2020-21 season, set a physical tone for the Nuggets by exploiting mismatches against smaller defenders. He scored 12 points in the first quarter alone, making six out of his first eight shots. By the end of the third quarter, Denver led 84-60.
The Heat did manage to narrow the gap to 10 points with 4:16 left in the game, but Jokic responded with an eight-foot floater and an eight-foot turnaround fadeaway shot. When the Heat came within nine points with 2:34 remaining, Jokic assisted Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with a 15-foot jumper before scoring another four points himself, resulting in the Heat’s first Game 1 loss this postseason.
Murray and Jokic’s dynamic partnership has proven effective against opposing defenses, with both players contributing 20 points and 10 assists in a Finals game. They now join the ranks of legendary duos such as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls, and Magic Johnson and James Worthy of the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Our goal is to win a championship,” Murray stated. “I think it’s just fluent, beautiful basketball. The ball is hopping, and we’re just playing off each other. You can have a great game with only five shots until the fourth.”
Jokic, when asked about the quiz Malone gave the team earlier in the day, responded, “He didn’t ask me nothing. So I don’t know.” Regardless, the Nuggets had all the answers they needed in Game 1, with Jokic concluding, “I think we did a good job.”
