The following comes courtesy of Bard, Google’s AI platform except where bold.
Don’t just watch the game, play along with thePeachBasket Pick’em!
The Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat 113-107 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night at Ball Arena [Final score was 104-93 Denver Nuggets]. Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 35 points, 16 rebounds, and 8 assists [Jokic finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists], while Jamal Murray added 27 points and 6 assists [Murray contributed 26 points and 10 assists]. Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Bam Adebayo added 22 points and 12 rebounds [Butler scored 13 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists while Adebyao had 26 points and 13 rebounds].
The Nuggets got off to a hot start, jumping out to a 16-point lead in the first quarter. The Heat rallied in the second quarter, cutting the lead to 57-52 at halftime [Halftime score was 59-42 Denver Nuggets]. The Nuggets opened the third quarter with a 12-0 run to extend their lead to 69-52. The Heat fought back again, cutting the lead to 84-78 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Nuggets held on for the win in the fourth quarter. Jokic and Murray were dominant in the fourth quarter, combining for 28 points [The Nuggets Dynamic Duo combined for 14 points in the final quarter]. The Heat were led by Butler, who scored 14 points in the fourth quarter [Jimmy Buckets had 1 bucket for 2 points].
The Nuggets will look to take a 2-0 lead in the series when they host Game 2 on Sunday night.
Here are some other key stats from Game 1:
- The Nuggets shot 50.6% from the field, while the Heat shot 44.1% [Close! Nuggets percentage is right, but the Heat shot 40.6%].
- The Nuggets made 12 3-pointers, while the Heat made 7 [Nuggets made 8 from deep while the Heat made 13].
- The Nuggets had a 47-38 rebounding advantage [Nuggets won the rebounding game, but only by a score of 45-43].
- The Nuggets had 22 assists, while the Heat had 18 [Nuggets also won the assists game by a score of 29-26].
The Nuggets were able to win Game 1 by getting contributions from all over their roster. Jokic and Murray were obviously the stars, but other players like Aaron Gordon, Monte Morris, and Will Barton also played well [Everyone who played for the Nuggets played well. Monte Morris and Will Barton did not however play for the Nuggets in this game]. The Heat were led by Butler, but they didn’t get enough help from their supporting cast.
The Nuggets will be confident after winning Game 1, but they know that the Heat will be ready to respond in Game 2. The Heat have a lot of talent, and they will be determined to even the series at 1-1.
