Fifth triple-double of the season for Nikola Jokic against a team quickly deprived of Bam Adebayo, injured in the foot.
Clearly the years go by, and the Miami Heat still cannot stop Nikola Jokic, and more generally cannot win against the Denver Nuggets. For the 11th time in a row in the regular season, the Nuggets imposed their will, methodically, against a Heat admittedly deprived very early of Bam Adebayo, who was hurt in the foot.
Denver struck hard from the start, surprising everyone with a zone defence from the first possession. A rare strategy to counter the Heat's new offence, focused on penetrations and speed. Miami initially coped well thanks to Norm Powell, accurate from beyond the arc, to take a seven-point lead (27-20). And then, the rotations took over, and the Nuggets' game plan quickly took effect: with the paint clogged, drives became increasingly complicated for Miami. With a fine spell from Tim Hardaway Jr, who hit a three-pointer at the buzzer, the Nuggets then took control: 36-33 after 12 minutes.
Jokic takes total control
Jokic then took total control, distributing play at will and taking advantage of Adebayo's absence to do what he wanted. Despite a mediocre three-point percentage, Denver dominated inside (28 shots in the paint at half-time, compared to 13 for Miami) to lead 68-60 at the break.
Without Adebayo after the break, Miami attempted to resist with Jaime Jaquez Jr (21 points) and Andrew Wiggins (22 points), aggressive against the zone, but Denver continued to roll, relentless. Even when the Heat closed the gap slightly (82-77), Jokic settled matters, regaining control as soon as he returned to the court. Result: a 10-0 run to take a 15-point lead (92-77).
Same scenario in the fourth quarter with a Heat team that got to within eight points in the final minute, before Jamal Murray sealed the Nuggets' success from the free-throw line (122-112).
Miami Heat Bam Adebayo and Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic reach for the rebound
Key takeaways
Jokic resumes his streak. The three-time MVP finished with 33 points, 15 rebounds and 16 assists, for a fifth triple-double since the start of the season. Everything seems so simple with him whether it is driving to bulldoze his defender to the rim, or distributing play.
Denver as bogey team. In the regular season, the Heat have not beaten the Nuggets since 1st August 2020, and that was in the Orlando bubble. A run of 11 consecutive defeats in total, and if we only count matches in Denver, Miami have not won there since 2016.
Concern for Bam Adebayo. More than the defeat, the Heat are particularly concerned about Adebayo's injury exit, hurt in the left foot. It was during a moving hand-to-hand battle that the All-Star centre lost his balance and twisted his foot. In all likelihood, it is not an ankle sprain, and after the encounter, the player announced he would undergo examinations.
This article was originally published on Basket USA.
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