MIAMI — No one has ever seen anything like what happened in Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat. It does not matter if you have seen Wilt Chamberlain & Bill Russell dominate, Michael Jordan & Tim Duncan win titles, Kobe Bryant & LeBron James carry their teams, or if you’ve seen Kobe Bryant and LeBron James carry their teams.
Wednesday’s 109-94 win by Denver made-NBA-history.
Nikola Jokic, the center for the Nuggets and a two-time MVP, had 32 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists. He was the first player in NBA Finals history to score 30 points and grab 20 rebounds.
That was such a beautiful game of basketball that Miami couldn’t do anything about it.
Then, when you add in Jamal Murray’s 34 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists for the Nuggets, it adds another unique layer.
There have never been two 30-point triple-doubles in the same NBA game, either during the regular season or in the playoffs.
That’s 76 professional basketball seasons and tens of thousands of games.
“I’ve known Nikola and Jamal for eight and 7 years, respectively, and we have had a few pretty correct instances, however now not in the NBA Finals,” said Denver teach Michael Malone. “No one has ever carried out what the ones guys did this night to alternate history. What’s really cool approximately it is that you win.”
When asked to think about what he had done, Jokic said, “I just think it’s a win, because if you lose, no one will even talk about it. I don’t care, even if I’m being honest. It’s only a number.”
It’s great that Jokic is humble and puts winning ahead of his own success.
But just a stat? Nope. Not even close.
For the Nuggets to go up 2-1 in the series, they needed that shot from Jokic. It is clear that Nikola Jokic is at or near a triple-double when he is at his best. In Game 2, when Miami won, he had 41 points but only four assists. When he scores and gives out passes, the Nuggets are hard to defend.
The Heat would rather have Jokic score more than pass. When he does both, they can’t keep up.
Murray stated, “He just makes the game see comfort with his free throws, his touch, his-creativity, his no-look passes, & his-IQ.” “I could keep on going. He’s a very, very good player.”
It was Jokic’s 10th triple-double in one playoff season, which is an NBA record. It changed into also his sixteenth triple-double in his profession, that is 1/3 all-time at the back of Magic Johnson (30) and LeBron James (28).
In 18 playoff games, he has averaged 30.5 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 10.1 assists while hitting 54.6% from the field and 47% on 3-pointers. In Game 3, he had his second triple-double of the Finals. No player has ever had 3 triple-doubles in one Finals. If Denver wins two more games, Jokic will likely have to win at least one more for the team to win the title.
Maybe the Nuggets didn’t need Murray’s triple-double in its entirety. On the last shot of the game, he got his 10th rebound, but Miami was only nine points behind at that point. Miami didn’t have a chance to win because of how Murray started scoring and then kept finding his best spots on the court. This was especially true in the fourth quarter, when Murray had 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists. He is also the first player in Finals history to have at least 10 assists in each of his first three games.
“He knows where to find the guys and how to take control of the game,” Jokic said.
The team of Jokic and Murray has become one of the best duos in the NBA. Their “pick-and-roll” style of play is terrible for their opponents. They try to make sure that each other touches the ball enough for the attack to work. They know how to make the most of their own skills and those of each other.
“The best way I can put it is that it’s a matter of trust and feeling. Murray stated, “It’s not just Xs & Os.” “All you have to do is watch the game & hope that the other player will make the right move. If he throws it to me, he knows what to expect from me and knows how I’m feeling and how hard I’m playing.I think it’s a feeling and trust that we’ll figure it out, along with a lot of selflessness. It’s easy to understand. We go if there’s something there. If it isn’t, we don’t try to make it work.”
It is mesmerizing to watch just two players score, get rebounds, and pass the ball.
No one else besides the NBA and its television partners is responsible for getting people to watch the Finals. But if you don’t watch Jokic and Murray, you’re missing out on a lot. You don’t know enough about the NBA.
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