I think it's the ‘I don't give a damn’ factor.” “That's how it's been all year long, and that's not going to change. “Make or miss shots, we're going to be who we are because we're not worried about anybody else,” Butler said. ![]() Duncan Robinson scored his 10 points in the fourth quarter, part of an offensive display that staggered the Nuggets.Ĭontributions came from up and down the roster, including the veteran presence of Kyle Lowry (nine points, three assists) and Kevin Love (six points, 10 rebounds, two steals). Butler had 21 points, nine assists and four rebounds, and Bam Adebayo had 21 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Gabe Vincent scored a team-high 23 points and added three assists and two steals. He made four Sunday and contributed 14 points. Max Strus missed nine 3-pointers Thursday. Unlike the opener, those shots went through the hoop. The Heat believed the law of averages would be in their favor, and they took the same open shots Sunday as they did in Game 1. It missed open shots.ĭenver’s Game 1 victory lulled it into a false sense of control, and Michael Malone was worried about his team’s defensive effort. Miami, which has been a great 3-point shooting team in the East playoffs, was just 33.3% from that distance in Game 1. The Heat were better than they were in Game 1, and that was enough to win Game 2. “We did that tonight as a group, and we'll continue to do that as a group.” “Just find a way to win,” Heat star Jimmy Butler said. With 3:39 left in the game, it had a 107-95 lead. Miami fell behind 50-35 midway through the second quarter and trailed 83-75 to start the fourth. They started the game well, finished strong and in between, the Heat absorbed Denver’s scoring bursts and countered with their own while playing outstanding defense against one of the NBA’s best offenses. In almost every way − except for Denver having the best all-around player on the court in two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who had a game-high 41 points − the Heat were the stronger team. “We want to be able to have that privilege of having adversity and being able to overcome it,” Spoelstra said. NO TIMEOUT? Why didn't Denver coach Michael Malone set up final shot?īut it also doesn’t stop him from appreciating how it helps his team. “We've talked about it in all the previous three series,” he said, “so I feel like I'm being redundant.” ![]() Spoelstra tires of expounding on Heat culture and resiliency. It steeled us and we developed some grit, which is what we all want.” Because of all that adversity and the 57 close games that happened, due to a lot of that, it hardened us. “We handled it the right way where you are not making excuses about it, the injuries, the lineups changes. “We faced a lot of adversity during the season,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. This was a classic Heat victory, outworking, outsmarting and outplaying the opponent. You don’t beat the Heat on talent alone, and the Nuggets should know that. It was the manner in which the Heat played and Nuggets didn’t. It wasn’t the final score, a 111-108 Miami victory for a 1-1 Finals series. The Heat embarrassed the Denver Nuggets in Game 2. Watch Video: 2023 NBA Finals: What will it take for the Miami Heat to win it all?ĭENVER - The Miami Heat are forged in adversity.Īnd discipline.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |