The Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat played Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals at the Ball Arena, where Denver won 104-93. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray led the Nuggets to victory, scoring a combined 53 points. Jokic put up a triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists, while Jimmy Butler struggled on the Heat’s side. The Heat’s shooting record was a big contributing factor to their loss, with forwards Max Strus and Caleb Martin struggling with their shots, going 1-17 from the field and 1-11 from beyond the arc.
Despite their shooting struggles, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra wasn’t concerned, stating in the post-game press conference, “They are fine. They aren’t going to get sick at sea. If they’re shooters, they’re not always gonna be able to make all the shows that you want. Then you have to find different ways to impact the game. Our team is not just built on the three-point ball. We have proven that time and time again. We can win games, we can win series’ regardless of how the three is going.”
NBA Twitter showed strong reactions to the shooting struggles, particularly towards Caleb Martin. However, the Heat aim to level the series 1-1 as they face the Denver Nuggets for Game 2 on June 4th. The Nuggets are favorites to take a 2-0 lead, but the Heat may turn things around with a better performance from Jimmy Butler and the rest of the team.
