The Heat stole game 2 of the NBA Finals and put the pressure right back on the Nuggets to go into Miami and steal a game. Like they did all season they displayed grit and out-executed their opponents in the clutch. The Heat won because of a multitude of reasons and we have to start with Caleb Martin. He continues to put up impressive numbers as he put up 23 points on 8-12 shooting and 4-6 from three. He was the Heat's leading scorer. Duncan Robinson played a huge role in scoring all of his 10 points in the early stages of the 4th quarter and setting the tone. The insertion of Kevin Love was a great move by Spoelstra as I felt like that change caught the Nuggets off guard. His ability to spread the floor and play make adds a whole new element to this offense which is not provided when Bam or Cody Zeller is on the floor. Miami also hit their shots in this game contrary to what they did in game 1. They hit 17-35 3s and many of them were wide open which is not a good sign for the Nuggets. Micheal Malone, after the game, spoke on the lack of effort this Nuggets team has displayed in both games to start the series. Even after the game 1 victory, Malone stated that the team did not play well and up to their standards and that was proven right especially in game 2. The Heat adjusted putting Bam on Jokic which then allowed Butler to guard Murray and the strategy proved effective as Murray was held to 18 points on 7-15 shooting. Jokic was once again sensational as he dropped 41 points but the Nuggets are winless when he drops 40+ this postseason. The Heat's game plan is not as simple as just letting Jokic be a scorer but the thing they did very well was limiting his assists. He only had 4 which means that the role players were not involved as much as they would have liked to be and as a result put up poor numbers. Gordon was alright but Porter Jr. and KCP struggled mightily as they combined for 3-12 shooting, 2-9 from 3, and 11 points. They rely on Jokic to play make for them the most because they are catch-and-shoot players. Spoelstra made the necessary adjustments for game 2 now it is time for Malone to answer back. Will he have his team ready to play?
Prediction: Game 3 seems like the game to steal homecourt back for Denver. It is a more daunting task to try to win game 4 in Miami's house down 2-1 in a near must-win game than to try to win a game 3 tied at 1-1. I say that because the Nuggets have not had to face the real pressure of being eliminated in the first 3 rounds. It is unknown how the Nuggets will play in a game down 2-1 in game 4. So I believe it would be better for them to win game 3 and keep the pressure on Miami and I believe they will do exactly that.
115-104 Nuggets Victory
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