came out in the denver nuggets " target="_blank" rel="noopener">Organization’s first NBA Finals and continued his dominant home run streak in the NBA Playoffs.
denver beat Miami Heat In Game 1, 104–93, remaining undefeated at home during the playoffs.
Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets looks on during game one of the 2023 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat at Ball Arena on June 1, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Jesse D. Garbrant / NBAE via Getty Images)
Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic also continued where he left off against the Western Conference Finals Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, recording their sixth triple-double in their last seven playoff games.
Jokic is now only the second player to record a triple-double. nba finals Debussy was the first person to achieve the feat in 2002 with Jason Kidd.
He is only the eighth NBA player to have a triple-double in Game 1 of the Finals and only the second player in the last 25 years to have 10 assists by halftime in an NBA Finals game.
Jokic finished the night with 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds.
Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets passes the ball during game one of the 2023 NBA Finals at The Ball Arena on June 1, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Jesse D. Garbrant / NBAE via Getty Images)
Jokic said, “I don’t need to shoot, and I know I don’t need to score to affect the game.”
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Jokic’s running mate, Jamal Murray, was also stellar in his Finals debut, scoring 26 points and adding 10 assists.
Murray said, “I think that’s the beauty of this team.” “We have so many different weapons and so many different looks. You have to protect everybody. . . free-flowing, and it’s so much fun.”
Miami made history in Game 1, just not the kind they’d like to remember.
The Heat shot and made just two free throws, the fewest free throws Ever made and attempted in an NBA Finals game.
Heat star Jimmy Butler said, “We have to attack the rim more, myself included.”
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Jamal Murray, #27 of the Denver Nuggets, drives to the basket against Caleb Martin, #16 of the Miami Heat, during the first half of the 2023 NBA Finals at The Ball Arena on June 1, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Kyle Terada – Pool/Getty Images)
Before Thursday, Miami was 3–0 in the opening game of these playoff series, winning all three as the eight-seed in the Eastern Conference.
“That was one of my last messages to the group before our game,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone Said. “I reminded my group, in case they didn’t know, that Miami went to Milwaukee and won Game 1. They went to the Garden in New York City and won Game 1. They won Game 1 in Boston. So, we don’t want to That they come here to control the series on our court.”
Game 2 of the NBA Finals airs Sunday at 8:00 PM ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report