"They've been awesome all year"- Aaron Gordon gives massive props to Nuggets crowd who came alive in their first-ever NBA Finals
As the Denver Nuggets took to their home floor for the opening game of the NBA Finals - the first in the team's history - you could hear the excitement of their fanbase in the stadium.
Fortunately, the Nuggets roster ensured their fanbase wasn't disappointed, as they made light work of the Miami Heat to ensure their team registered the franchise's first NBA Finals win in history.
When speaking to the media after the game, Aaron Gordon heaped praise on the Denver Nuggets fans, noting how they have been 'awesome' all season long.
"They've been awesome all year and they just turned it up another notch."
Aaron Gordon praises the Denver crowd's energy during the Game 1 win 🔊
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"It was awesome," Gordon said. "The crowd was super cool tonight. It was beautiful, you know. I took a moment during the national anthem, and I was like, 'Wow, this is the NBA Finals.' It's really, really cool. The crowd was in it from the start - give us that extra juice. They've been awesome all year, and they just turned it up another notch."
The Denver Nuggets' home performances have seen them run all the way to the NBA Finals without dropping a game in front of their own fans. Now, the Nuggets roster will be hoping they can continue that level of productivity on Sunday, June 4, when they face off against the Miami Heat for Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
However, the Miami Heat have shown resiliency all season long, so the Denver Nuggets shouldn't expect an easy game as they look to take full control of their own championship destiny.
Aaron Gordon reacts to Jamal Murray's early dunks
When you think of Jamal Murray, an explosive dunker is not what comes to mind. However, during the opening quarter of the NBA Finals, the impressive point guard recorded two impressive dunks to help galvanize his team.
When speaking to the media after the game, Aaron Gordon discussed his teammate's dunking exploits, noting how he didn't expect Jamal Murray to throw down the hammer on either play.
"I was surprised," Gordon said. "My guy got VertiMax. I did not think he was gonna dunk that, but Jamal's a sleepy athletic. He will dunk you, for real. That was crazy. All vert."
Jamal Murray ended game one of the NBA Finals with a stat line of 26 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds while shooting the rock at a 50% clip from the field and a 66.7% clip from three-point range.
After fully recovering from an injury that cost him all of the 20221-22 NBA season and some of the earlier games from this year, it's clear that Jamal Murray is back to his elite best. Now, the Denver Nuggets will feel confident that their star tandem of Murrary and Nikola Jokic can help lead them to NBA glory in what would be the first championship banner in franchise history.
Of course, the Miami Heat also have a star tandem in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, and they will not simply roll over and go away quietly. As such, we can expect the NBA Finals series to continue to grow in competitiveness in the coming weeks.
However, if the Denver Nuggets can keep the unbeaten home record they've amassed throughout the postseason, it's hard to see how the Miami Heat can end the series as champions.