"I know what they are capable of" - Nikola Jokic warns his teammates of resurgent Heat team as Nuggets take Game 1 of the NBA Finals
Nikola Jokic sent a warning to his teammates despite the Denver Nuggets' Game 1 win over the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals on Thursday. Jokic knows what the Heat are capable of and that they're not going to go down easy in Game 2 on Sunday night.
In a post-game interview, Nikola Jokic discussed the Nuggets' 104-93 win and how they will approach Game 2. The two-time MVP explained that they are not going to feel relaxed knowing that they are three wins away from winning their first NBA championship.
"I'm not excited, to be honest," Jokic said. "I'm really focused, and I know what they are capable of. They beat some really good teams that had a better record than us. We are as a team; we are not relaxed.
"It's really an important win for us especially because they first game in every round. As a team, we have a huge respect for the Miami Heat, and our focus and mentality is not relaxed, but to get better."
"To be honest, I'm not excited...I know what they are capable of."
The Joker isn't satisfied after Denver's Game 1 win https://t.co/wTmg0rutan
Nikola Jokic had yet another triple-double on his NBA Finals debut. He finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists, shooting 8-12 from the field and 10-12 from the free-throw line.
Jamal Murray was also on fire, especially in the first half. He had 26 points, six rebounds and 10 assists on 11-22 shooting, including 2-7 from beyond the arc. Michael Porter Jr. added 14 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks, but shot just 5-16 from the field.
Aaron Gordon scored 12 of his 16 points in the first quarter to set the tone of the game for the Denver Nuggets. Bruce Brown also struggled with his shot but still put up 10 points, five rebounds and two assists off the bench.
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Miami Heat felt effects of altitude, fatigue in Game 1 loss to Nikola Jokic and Nuggets
The Miami Heat only had three days rest between Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals and Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Heat felt the fatigue from their battle with the Boston Celtics, while the high altitude of Denver didn't help either.
Miami was unable to stop Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the rest of the Nuggets. For the Heat, Bam Adebayo had 26 points on 25 shots, while Gabe Vincent provided a spark with 19 points and five assists. Haywood Highsmith was huge off the bench with 18 points in 23 minutes.
However, superstar Jimmy Butler struggled with his shot and only had 13 points in 38 minutes. The Heat's reliable crew of Max Strus, Caleb Martin and Duncan Robinson combined for just six points on the night.
Martin and Robinson each had three points, while Strus was scoreless after going 0-10 from the field, including 0-9 from beyond the arc.
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