The Denver Nuggets have taken a 1-0 lead in the 2023 NBA Finals. On Thursday, the Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat 104-93 at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.
What we saw from the Nuggets in the first game was exceptional discipline. Miami only had two free throws in the entire contest. That was the fewest number of free throws in a single game by one team in NBA Finals history. The previous record was five free throws. That was the number the Los Angeles Lakers had in game two of the 1983 NBA Finals, a 103-93 Lakers loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on May 26, 1983.
The Nuggets meanwhile had 20 free throws, of which they made 16. Center Nikola Jokic of Sombor, Serbia made 10 of those 16 free throws.
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Denver also got off to as great start in their first NBA Finals game in franchise history. They had a 59-44 lead after the first half. Miami had a strong run early in the fourth quarter, and outscored the Nuggets 30-20, in the final quarter, but it was too little, too late.
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Speaking of Jokic, he once again had a triple double. The Nuggets veteran has the most triple doubles by one center in the history of the National Basketball Association postseason with 15. On Thursday, he had his ninth triple double of the 2023 NBA postseason alone.
Jokic had 27 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds. Jamal Murray of Kitchener, Ontario had 26 points and 10 assists. Power forward Aaron Gordon of San Jose, California had 16 points, while small forward Michael Porter of Columbia, Missouri also had a double double as he had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, Bruce Brown Jr. of Boston, Massachusetts had 10 points off the bench. Game two of the series is Sunday.
