#Clippers vs nuggets game 5 cracked#

None of his teammates cracked the 20-point threshold, but Murray came close with 18 points and 10 assists. Jokic had a major performance for the Nuggets, as he contributed 41 points and 11 rebounds but finished with just four assists. “Yes, it always looks better if the ball goes in. “So we did get some relief points on cuts and extra passes, ball movement that led to open shots,” Spoelstra explained. That the ball is going where it needs to go, and everybody understands what we are trying to get accomplished. “And that doesn’t guarantee you anything either, but at least you give yourself the best chance. “More intentional,” Spoelstra said of the Heat’s approach on offense. They shot 17-35 3P (48.6%) as a team to set the tone after shooting just 33.3% in Game 1. Miami also received double-figure scoring displays from Max Strus (14) and Robinson (10).

The Heat received a balanced scoring display from their main scoring options, with three players scoring 21 or more points: Gabe Vincent (23), Bam Adebayo (21), and Butler (21). “It was a good look, just didn’t go down,” Murray said. The team used a 3-point attempt from Jamal Murray to try to do so, but the shot with 1.2 seconds left in regulation was offline. NBA NEWS & FINALS COVERAGE: Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat, Nikola Jokic & Denver Nuggets UpdatesĮven despite shortcomings, the Nuggets had a chance to tie the game on their final possession. “That’s two fourth quarters, Game 1 and Game 2, where our fourth-quarter defense has been nonexistent.” “Our defense has to be a hell of a lot better,” Malone explained. “They were getting whatever they wanted, threes, layups, and that allowed them once again to sit back in their zone offense, slow the game down, and we had a hard time getting stops, and then we had a hard time getting made baskets on the other end.” “To me, the wheels really fell off to start that fourth quarter,” Malone explained. “There was miscommunication, game-plan breakdowns, personnel rhythm going into that fourth quarter, gave us a little bit of breathing room and then they started the fourth quarter 13-2,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. At the 9:44 mark of the fourth period, Robinson split the difference using a cut to counter a top lock while playing out of a Zoom action to finish at the rim, which put the Heat up 88-85. Duncan Robinson provided a significant spark - scoring 10 of the Heat’s first 13 points to open the frame, which was enough to give Miami the lead. The Nuggets appeared to have relative control of the game entering the fourth quarter, holding an 83-75 lead.

We know what we’re capable of, get some stops, we can make some shots as well, and got the opportunity to turn the game around and get one on the road.” Like I said, we are going to stay with it.

“A lot of the teams in this league, and that’s definitely them, they have some big time shot makers. “That’s just part of the game,” Butler said of both teams pulling off runs. Denver managed to build a 44-32 advantage, but once again, the Heat pulled off a run - cutting the deficit to 57-51 at halftime. From then on, the Nuggets went on a significant run - outscoring Miami by a staggering 32-11 margin after getting hot from beyond the arc. To avoid falling 2-0 in the series, the Heat came out of the gate aggressively and established a 21-10 lead with 4:56 remaining in the first quarter.

#Clippers vs nuggets game 5 series#

The series is now tied 1-1 as it heads to Kaseya Center for Games 3 and 4.

After coming out flat in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat bounced back with a 111-108 victory against the Miami Heat during Sunday’s Game 2.