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☆ Heat running out of time to find answer to Jokic
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Jun 7, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) dribbles the ball against Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the third quarter in game three of the 2023 NBA Finals at Kaseya Center. Jokic had 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists in the Nuggets' 109-94 victory on Wednesday that put them 2-1 up in the best-of-seven series. Denver bullied Miami on their home floor, out-rebounding the Heat 58-33 and outscoring them 60-34 in the paint. "Biggest thing is just read and react," Adebayo told reporters on Thursday. Jokic said he looks at the variety of defenses the Heat throw at him as a puzzle.

Persons: Nikola Jokic, Bam Adebayo, Sam Navarro, Jokic, Adebayo, Jamal Murray, Murray, they've, Rory Carroll, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, Kaseya Center, USA, NBA, Nuggets, Denver, Miami, Bucks, Knicks, Celtics, Thomson Locations: Miami , Florida, USA, Denver, Miami, Los Angeles

☆ It Was Banned for Decades. Now the Miami Heat May Use It to Win a Title.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Scott Cacciola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Murray, the Nuggets’ point guard, missed a 3-point attempt from the left corner, and the Heat raced away for a game-tying bucket. Murray and Jokic both finished with triple-doubles for Denver, which, for one game, at least, was largely unfazed by Miami’s shape-shifting defense. “We didn’t offer much resistance,” said Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra, who bemoaned his team’s lack of effort but considered it an anomaly. He added: “I think the thing that we’ve proven over and over and over is we can win and find different ways to win.”And one of those ways is with their zone defense. So, in an effort to slow the pace of play and compensate for their lack of size, the Heat are occasionally abandoning their man-to-man defense by mixing in some zone.

Persons: Murray, Miami . Murray, Jokic, ”, Erik Spoelstra Organizations: Nuggets, Heat, Denver Locations: Miami .

☆ It’s Basketball’s Simplest Play. The Denver Nuggets Made It Unstoppable.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

MIAMI—Describing the interplay between Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray presents the same challenge as stopping it: it’s built on a language all its own. “They know how to communicate with each other without even speaking, just reading and playing off of each other,” Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone said recently. “No matter how you guard that, there’s a counter to it.”

Persons: Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Malone, ” Organizations: MIAMI, Denver Nuggets

☆ Jamal Murray Lets His Play Do the Talking
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Tania Ganguli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

But on Wednesday night, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray walked into the interview room after winning Game 3 of the N.B.A. finals wearing an unassuming white T-shirt and baggy gray sweatpants. A few glints here and there — a glittering bracelet and large stud earrings — added a little sparkle. There are ways in which he seems unassuming, perhaps because he is often overshadowed by his teammate Nikola Jokic. But when you really pay attention, particularly throughout this year’s playoffs, his play sparkles through those perceptions.

Persons: Jamal Murray, —, Nikola Jokic Organizations: Denver Nuggets

☆ Nikola Jokic's historic effort sends Nuggets past Heat in Game 3
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jokic became the first player ever to log at least 30 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in an NBA Finals game. He made 12 of 21 shots and blocked two shots as Denver bounced back from a Game 2 home loss. Murray scored a game-high 34 points to go with 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Nuggets, who controlled the contest. Jimmy Butler scored 28 points and Bam Adebayo added 22 points and 17 rebounds for the Heat, who trailed by as many as 21 points. Braun converted a three-point play with 8:45 left and made a floater 17 seconds later to push the Denver lead to 93-72 with 8:28 to play.

Persons: Kevin Love, Jamal Murray, Kyle Terada, Nikola Jokic, Jokic, Murray, Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Hall, Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul, Jabbar, Caleb Martin, Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell, Pope, Braun, Adebayo Organizations: Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, Kaseya Center, NBA, Denver, Nuggets, Miami, Hall of Famers, Heat, Thomson Locations: Miami , Florida, USA, Denver

The 2023 NBA Finals are well underway, with Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat backing down Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets for an NBA championship. How to watch the NBA Finals in the USABC exclusively broadcasts the NBA Finals this year, but you can also catch all the games on partner station ESPN3. If your local TV provider isn't simulcasting the game, you can still watch Nuggets vs Heat game 3 using the live TV streaming services we recommend above. ET ABC, ESPN3 Game 5, Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets (if necessary) June 12, 8:30 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN3 Game 7, Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets (if necessary) June 18, 8 p.m.

Persons: Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jokic's, Nikola Jokic, Lebron James, you'll, that's, you've, We've, ExpressVPN Organizations: Miami Heat, Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets, NBA, ABC, ESPN3, Sling, Denver Nuggets, Lakers, Heat, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, ESPN, Hulu, Nuggets, ExpressVPN, Denver Nuggets Denver, Miami, Denver Nuggets Miami, Denver Locations: United States

[1/3] Jun 4, 2023; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) controls the ball against Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) in the second quarter in game two of the 2023 NBA Finals at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY SportsJune 6 (Reuters) - Underdog Miami's chances of overcoming the odds and beating the favored Nuggets will hinge on big man Bam Adebayo's success in containing dynamic Denver center Nikola Jokic, his teammates said on Tuesday. "Bam has been playing incredibly well this entire playoffs, for sure this series, and this one he got the toughest matchup by far on the defensive side of the ball," Heat forward Jimmy Butler told reporters on Tuesday. "Like I said, he's going to be the reason why we win a championship." "Everybody thinks basketball is always supposed to be pretty, it's supposed to be fluid," he said.

Persons: Nikola Jokic, Bam Adebayo, Isaiah J, Downing, Bam, Jimmy Butler, he's, Adebayo, Jokic, Rory Carroll, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, Ball, USA, Heat, Eastern, Knicks, Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Thomson Locations: Denver, USA, Miami, Los Angeles

☆ The Nuggets’ Winning DNA Can Be Traced To Their ’70s ABA Predecessors
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Larry Brown made this much clear: In more than half a century coaching basketball, for a long list of universities and professional franchises, he has never come across a player like Nikola Jokic. “You can’t even describe what he does,” Brown, 82, said of the Denver Nuggets’ magic show of a center. “I’ve never seen anyone pass the ball like he can.”

Persons: Larry Brown, Nikola Jokic, ” Brown, “ I’ve, ” Organizations: Denver Nuggets

☆ Gabe Vincent helps Heat beat Nuggets, level Finals at 1-1
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Jun 4, 2023; Denver, CO, USA; Miami Heat guard Gabe Vincent (2) controls the ball against Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) in the first half in game two of the 2023 NBA Finals at Ball Arena. Gabe Vincent made 8 of 12 shot attempts from the floor -- including 4 of 6 from 3-point range -- as the Heat outscored the Nuggets by a 36-25 margin in the fourth quarter. I mean, this is the NBA Finals and we're talking about effort. This is the NBA Finals. Kyle Lowry's 3-pointer trimmed the Nuggets' lead to 77-75 with 2:08 left in the third quarter before Jokic scored the final six points of the period.

Persons: Gabe Vincent, Michael Porter Jr, Isaiah J, Downing, Nikola Jokic, Vincent, Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Erik Spoelstra, Denver's Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Bruce Brown, Jokic, Michael Malone, he's, Malone, Duncan Robinson, Butler, Murray, Gordon, Adebayo, Murray misfired, Kyle Lowry's, Max Strus Organizations: Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, Ball, USA, NBA, Heat, Nuggets, Denver, Miami, Thomson Locations: Denver, USA, Beach, Miami

☆ NBA Finals: Miami Heat come alive in fourth quarter to edge past Denver Nuggets and tie series
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Miami Heat leveled the NBA Finals with a crucial road win against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. 8 seed in NBA postseason history. Mark J. Terrill/APDespite the Heat’s comeback victory in Game 2, Nuggets star Nikola Jokić delivered another vintage performance – something to be expected nowadays. This is NBA Finals, we are talking about effort; that’s a huge concern of mine,” he said. This is the NBA Finals.

Persons: Erik Spoelstra’s, ”, Spoelstra, Gabe Vincent, “, he’s, He’s, ” Spoelstra, Vincent, we’re, ” Gabe Vincent, Mark J, Terrill, Nikola Jokić, Jokić, Michael Malone, Nikola, ” Malone, Matthew Stockman, Malone Organizations: CNN, Miami Heat, NBA, Denver Nuggets, Nuggets, Ball Arena, Denver, Heat Locations: Miami, Denver, Serbian

☆ Nikola Jokic, an Elusive Superstar, Has a Hold on Denver
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

About two miles from downtown Denver, the yellows, oranges and reds of a spray-painted mural fill the cracked, gray cement wall of a building that houses a temporary employment agency. The mural rises about 20 feet and depicts an expressionless Nikola Jokic next to a much more emotive Jamal Murray, his eyes narrowed and arms extended as though he is wielding a bow and arrow. Thomas Evans, a 38-year-old artist, finished the mural of the two Denver Nuggets stars recently as the team prepared to begin the N.B.A. He said the mural inspired him and some collaborators to write the song as a tribute to Jokic. James is the biggest star in the N.B.A., with four championship rings, piles of endorsement deals and a constant presence on social media and television.

Persons: Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Thomas Evans, Damien Lucero, Lucero, Dame, Dame D.O.L.L.A, Damian Lillard, ”, —, LeBron James, James Organizations: Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, Nuggets, Western Conference Locations: Denver, Portland, Jokic

☆ The Nuggets Said They Weren’t Favorites—Then Proved They Are in Game 1 of the NBA Finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Leading up to the NBA Finals, Nikola Jokic disputed the obvious. Were his Denver Nuggets, a No. 1 seed who had won 53 games during the regular season and swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, favored over a Miami Heat team that had won just 44 games, earned a No. 8 seed and survived a seven-game conference-final tilt against the Boston Celtics?

Persons: Nikola Jokic Organizations: NBA, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Western, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics

☆ Nikola Jokic, Nuggets cruise to Game 1 win over Heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Right now, the most important thing is to win a game, and I'm trying to win a game in any possible way," Jokic said on the ABC broadcast. The Nuggets were sharp, even after a nine-day wait between their conference-final sweep and the start of the NBA Finals. "I reminded our group, if they didn't know, that Miami went into Milwaukee (in the first round) and won Game 1," Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. "They went into the Garden in New York City (in the second round) and won Game 1. "They were in a pretty good rhythm, especially in that first half," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the Nuggets.

Persons: Nikola Jokic, Bam Adebayo, Isaiah J, Downing, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr, Aaron Gordon, Jokic, Jimmy Butler, Michael Malone, Gabe Vincent, Haywood Highsmith, Erik Spoelstra, Murray, Bruce Brown, Butler Organizations: Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, Ball, USA, Nuggets, ABC, NBA, Denver, Eastern Conference, Miami, Eastern, The Nuggets, Heat, Thomson Locations: Denver, USA, Milwaukee, New York City, Boston, Jokic

☆ 2023 NBA Finals: How to watch the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

There’s Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets – the hulking Serbian center who has battled underappreciation and misinterpretation to become one of the league’s greats and a two-time Most Valuable Player. It’s the performances of Jokić and Butler which help to explain why the NBA Finals are being contested by Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat as the 2022/23 NBA season concludes. Jokić shoots the ball during Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. Jokić admitted that the celebrations were short-lived after the Western Conference Finals sweep of the Lakers as Denver’s goal is lifting the title. Jokić leaves the floor after the Nuggets beat the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

Persons: There’s Nikola Jokić, underappreciation, Jimmy Butler –, Jokić, Butler, Erik Spoelstra, Denver’s Michael Malone, Larry O’Brien, Butler –, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Adam Pantozzi, Jamal Murray’s, Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell, Pope –, “ I’m, ” Jokić, AAron Ontiveroz, – Miami, Al Horford, David Butler II, – Butler, ”, “, Pat, Riley, Spoelstra, Nathaniel S, you’ve, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Denver Nuggets, NBA, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Western, Nuggets, Boston Celtics, Ball Arena, Games, ABC, Western Conference, Denver, Lakers, Denver Post, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Bucks, New York Knicks, Celtics, Eastern, USA, Sports, Reuters, Heat Locations: Serbian, Denver , Colorado, Miami, Denver, Milwaukee Bucks . Miami

☆ In the N.B.A. Playoffs, Flopping Is a Welcome Sideshow
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Kurt Streeter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

playoffs, LeBron James got in on the act. The upstarts, upsets and dominance. The Miami Heat putting the kibosh on the comeback of comebacks in the Eastern Conference finals. Welcome to the National Basketball Floppers Association. In the 1970s, Red Auerbach, the Boston Celtics’s fabled and curmudgeonly leader, railed on national television against the “Hollywood acting” that was sullying the game.

Persons: LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Kyle Lowry, Nikola Jokic, Malik Monk, Flopping, Red Auerbach Organizations: Miami Heat, Eastern Conference, Sacramento Kings, National Basketball Floppers Association, Boston, Hollywood

How to watch the NBA Finals in the USYou can watch the NBA Finals on ABC via broadcast TV, cable, satellite, or any live TV streaming service that carries the network. 2023 NBA Finals scheduleGame Date and time Channel Game 1, Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets June 1, 8:30 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN3 Game 5, Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets (if necessary) June 12, 8:30 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN3 Game 6, Denver Nuggets at Miami Heat (if necessary) June 15, 8:30 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN3 Game 7, Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets (if necessary) June 18, 8 p.m.

Persons: Larry O'Brien, we've, Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, Lisa Salters, Nikola Jokic, there's, ExpressVPN Organizations: Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, NBA, ABC, ESPN3, ESPN, Sling, Western Conference, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Hulu, YouTube

☆ He’s the Best Player in the NBA. He’s Also the Bloodiest.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/sports/basketball/nikola-jokic-nuggets-nba-finals-bf5901ba

Persons: Dow Jones, nikola

☆ Where Is the Pass Going?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Sean Catangui | Kris Rhim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Where Is the Pass Going? Few aspects of basketball capture the joy of the game like great passes. The most exciting ones require communication, improvisation and a little luck. finals will feature one of the sport’s best at getting the ball to his teammates: Denver’s Nikola Jokic. Try to guess who catches these passes.

Persons: Denver’s Nikola Jokic

☆ Nuggets stand between Heat, history in NBA Finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] May 27, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) looks to the score board in the second quarter during game six of the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2023 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY SportsMay 31 (Reuters) - The Miami Heat have the chance to make history when the NBA Finals kick off on Thursday, facing a well-rested Denver Nuggets squad that is uninterested in letting the Heat's Cinderella story go any further. "We don't play just to win the Eastern Conference, we play to win the whole thing." "You get to the NBA Finals, it's not about seeding anymore. The NBA Finals kick off on Thursday at 8:30 p.m.

Persons: Jimmy Butler, Rich Storry, Larry O'Brien, Tyler Herro, Mark Jackson, Nikola Jokic's, oddsmakers, Michael Malone, Malone, it's, Amy Tennery, Chris Reese Organizations: Miami Heat, Eastern, Kaseya Center, NBA, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Eastern Conference, ABC NBA, Nikola Jokic's Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Nuggets, Milwaukee, Ball, Thomson Locations: Miami , Florida, USA, Miami, New York

☆ Nikola Jokic Has Mastered the Art of Slowness
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Kurt Streeter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It is the speed with which he plays, or, rather, the lack of it, that sets him apart in the fast-twitch N.B.A. Jokic, the two-time league most valuable player, could write an instructional book about the game he has come to master: Basketball and the Fine Art of Slowness. He moves where he wants, when he wants, while every other player is slicing around the court in a frenzy. It brought to mind something Jeff Van Gundy, the former N.B.A. Jokic is the epitome of the John Wooden quote, ‘Be quick, don’t hurry.’”“He’s an absolute marvel,” Van Gundy added.

☆ On the Denver Nuggets, the Role Players Get to Be Stars, Too
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Tania Ganguli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“So we just go with the hot guy.”Jokic is the engine that powers the Nuggets, but Gordon also called him “one of the most unselfish basketball players.” Jokic is averaging a triple-double in the playoffs, with 29.9 points, 13.2 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game. That happened on Saturday, in the Nuggets’ 119-108 win in Game 3 with the Lakers. Jokic had just 5 points and 2 rebounds at halftime, then got into foul trouble by committing his fourth less than halfway through the third quarter. That means somebody else has to step up.’ I think that’s something our team has done time and time again.”The Nuggets’ players have not just accepted roles that require them to defer to others, but embraced them in service of winning a championship. Jokic was the team’s only All-Star this year and no Nugget made an All-Defensive team; Jokic has never played with someone who made those teams while playing with him.

☆ Lakers vs Nuggets Game 2: LeBron James proves he is human after missing an easy dunk in LA loss to Denver
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —LeBron James proved he is human after all as the Los Angeles Lakers fell to a 108-103 Game 2 playoff loss against the Denver Nuggets. With the Lakers up by eight points early in the second, James had a clear run to the basket after being found by Rui Hachimura in transition. Jack Dempsey/APLeBron blowing the easy dunk was just one of the many uncharacteristic errors made by the 19-time All-Star in the Game 2 loss. After the game, James reflected on the 0-2 hole the Lakers find themselves in and said that it wasn’t the end of the world. To go with four steals, five assists and 10 rebounds, Murray scored an incredible 37 points in the huge win.

☆ Nikola Jokić makes history with triple-double to lead Denver Nuggets to big Game 5 win leaving Phoenix Suns on the ropes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Nikola Jokić made history with a triple-double on Tuesday night to lead the Denver Nuggets to a comfortable 118-102 Game 5 win in their Western Conference playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets were spearheaded as usual by Jokić, who created yet more history with his excellent all-around performance. Brown provided a key thrust for Denver throughout, scoring 25 points off the bench, something Jokić was keen to praise. Devin Booker led the way for the Suns with 28 points while Durant added 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. The home team has now won every game in the series so far, with Game 6 taking place in Phoenix on Thursday.

☆ An MVP Shoves. An NBA Team Owner Falls. The Basketball World Decides: ‘Flop or Foul?’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In the NBA playoffs, players will do anything for an edge. But what about team owners? That question came up almost halfway through Sunday night’s game between the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns. After Phoenix’s Josh Okogie sailed into the courtside seating to chase a loose ball, Denver star Nikola Jokic rushed to collect it, hoping to inbound the ball before Okogie had recovered. When Jokic tried to pry it from a spectator’s hands in Phoenix’s Footprint Center, a comedy of retaliatory gamesmanship ensued.

☆ Jokic fined $25,000, will not be suspended for Ishbia incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 8 (Reuters) - Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will not face a suspension after making contact with Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia during Game 4 of their conference semi-finals playoff series on Sunday. The NBA handed Jokic a $25,000 fine after he made contact with Ishbia in an attempt to take the game ball away from him and again when the game ball went further into the crowd at Phoenix's Footprint Center. The Suns won Game 4 129-124 to level the series. Ishbia previously said on Twitter that Jokic, a two-time MVP, should not receive a suspension. I have a lot of respect for Jokic and don’t want to see anything like that," he said.

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