• NBA Jokic, the 'slowness' and the challenge of a historic ring for the Nuggets

Jokic has done it again. Impressive performance of the Serbian, with 23 points and twelve rebounds, in a game that dominated from start to finish. The Denver Nuggets seem to have already ordered the ring after their victory against Miami by 108-95 at the Kaseya Center advantage that gives them a 3-1 advantage in the NBA Finals, which leaves them one step away from celebrating the first title in their history.

The Nuggets will be able to sentence the Finals this Monday in Denver, where they only lost one game in this postseason, after adding two wins of two in their visit to the Heat.

Michael Malone's team shot 50 percent from the field and made 14 three-pointers out of 28, driven by a magnificent Aaron Gordon of 27 points (11 of 15 shooting), six rebounds and six assists, and Nikola Jokic.

Jokic, a two-time MVP, became the first player in NBA history to record more than 500 points, 250 rebounds and 150 assists in a postseason.

Even on a day in which Jamal Murray did not shine, with fifteen points and a modest fifteen of 17 in shooting, the Nuggets could count on their wardrobe and the brilliant contribution of Bruce Brown (21 points and three triples).

In the Heat, Jimmy Butler was the best scorer with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and Bam Adebayo contributed a double double of twenty points and eleven rebounds. Coming off the bench, Kyle Lowry contributed thirteen, Duncan Robinson scored twelve, and Caleb Martin signed eleven.

THE HEAT, WITH THEIR HEADS HELD HIGH

There was no lack of commitment to the Heat, who with soccer stars such as Neymar and Vinicius sitting at the foot of the track and completely overturned with the locals, remained alive until the last two minutes, despite being measured with a real colossus.

They fell with honor against a solid, determined and superior Nuggets in all facets of the game. The public of the Heat was not up to the task, which left the stands practically empty with more than two minutes to play, when the team lost by ten points.

Jokic, the real matador of the third game, had a difficult start and scared his team when he missupported his right ankle midway through the first period. He continued to compete and his Nuggets reached the seven-point margin (18-11), but he was conditioned by pain and retired shortly after to the locker room for treatments.

The Heat reacted strongly and closed the period with a great three-pointer by Butler over the horn that capped a 10-2 run to take a 21-20 lead. However, Aaron Gordon, with fifteen points in the second quarter and seven of eight in shooting, and Jokic, who returned with a monumental triple and scored ten points in that period (16 at halftime), sustained the Nuggets and asserted the tremendous physical power of Malone's box.

They reached their maximum advantage at 54-45 with 1.35 to play, but a great closing period of the Heat allowed them to reduce it to four points (55-51), from the hand of Butler and an Adebayo who put the public back in the game with a powerful mate with one hand.

JOKIC AND GORDON, INTRACTABLE

It was an illusion for Miami. Denver hit the table in the third game powered by a dominant Jokic, capable of directing all the offensive actions of his team on a lackluster night from Murray. Among his great plays, he lit up with a great 'alley oop' for an irrepressible Gordon, who scored another nine points and reached 25 points, nine of thirteen in shooting, with a devastating triple for the 86-73 of the Nuggets.

The duel was going downhill for the Nuggets. The Heat strung together a long series of lost balls when the game was interrupted for about ten minutes by a problem in the Heat's basket after a missed kill attempt by Adebayo. In addition, a woman sitting in the area of the Heat bench had to be treated for a health problem.

THE PRIDE OF THE HEAT

There is no team in the NBA with better numbers of the Heat in the fourth periods after losing by ten or more points and Spoelstra's men proved it again by defying logic at times and placing themselves at six points (86-80).

They started with a partial 8-0 with a great basket and Butler's foul, and also forced Jokic's fifth personal foul with 9.24 on the clock. Adebayo brought the crowd to its feet with a wonderful block to Murray and the Heat gave themselves a chance.

The Heat were given a chance, but the Nuggets, even with Jokic on the bench, kept responding. Bruce Brown made a three-point play to put the double-digit difference back in the light.

There were 2.35 minutes to go and the stands began to empty, a gesture of a large part of the public not up to the effort offered by Miami on the track.

Another triple from Bruce Brown and one from Kentavious CaldwellPope definitively sentenced the clash.

The Nuggets party opened, with about a hundred fans present in the stands singing proudly and dreaming of the first NBA title in the history of the franchise, which is now just one win away. This Monday, in Denver, may be history day.

  • NBA

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