After 47 years, the Nuggets can finally call themselves NBA champions after they dispatched the Heat in five games here in the 2023 Finals.
Compared to their previous wins in Games 1, 3, and 4, Game 5 was an ugly and tense affair, as they had to grind it out to complete their championship journey.
Even if they couldn’t fully figure out the Nuggets, the Heat weren’t going down without a fight, and they had a one-point lead with less than two minutes left, making the crowd in Ball Arena nervous.
Jimmy Butler’s free throws gave the Heat a one-point lead with 1:58 remaining, but they couldn’t score after that, and Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope sealed the deal for the Nuggets.
And now that the Nuggets have won the finals, here are some of the biggest takeaways from Game 5 and also from this series, courtesy of SBOTOP.
The importance of having a strong supporting cast
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about the Nuggets, it’s that they were more than just Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
Game 5 was the culmination of the Nuggets’ patience throughout the years. With their title win, they basically bucked the notion of needing to have a superteam to be successful.
Other than Jokic and Murray, who were drafted by the team, Denver did a great job of building around them with complementary pieces that aren’t necessarily world-beaters but still get the job done.
Aaron Gordon, acquired from the Magic in 2021, played his role to perfection. Known for his athleticism, he has been an excellent finisher at the rim, creating numerous NBA 2023 highlights for Denver this series.
Denver also have their wing shooters in Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, while Bruce Brown and Christian Braun have provided spark off the bench as well.
Porter Jr. struggled for the whole series, but he saved his best for last, registering 16 points and 13 rebounds in 34 minutes during Game 5.
Jeff Green was also pivotal for the Nuggets in this series. When Nikola Jokic had to be benched early in the final period of Game 4 due to foul trouble, the 14-year veteran made a big three and played great defence to hold it down for Denver.
These are some of the unsung heroes for the Nuggets, and they wouldn’t achieve this remarkable feat if they didn’t step up.
Jokic shuts up his critics by winning Finals MVP
Following yet another solid performance in Game 5, where he dropped 28 points, 16 rebounds, and four assists on 75-per cent shooting from the field, Jokic not only won the title but was also named the Finals MVP with averages of 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game on 58-per cent shooting from the field.
For much of the season, Jokic had to deal with so many skeptics to the point that he was robbed of what could’ve been his third consecutive regular season MVP, which was given to Joel Embiid. There was even a ridiculous narrative that they couldn’t give it to him since he had yet to reach the finals.
But that doesn’t matter anymore because the Finals MVP certainly means more than his back-to-back regular season MVPs in 2021 and 2022. That’s not too shabby for a guy who was drafted in the second round while a Taco Bell commercial was playing when they announced his name.
Now that he has won it all, the Joker should be given his flowers. And perhaps we’re looking at the beginning of a new dynasty since the Nuggets’ core group of Jokic, Murray, and Porter Jr. are signed at least until the end of the 2024-25 season.
Butler went missing for the Heat
Nobody thought that the Heat would be in this position, considering they were a play-in team. Jimmy Butler’s heroics was the main reason why the Heat defied the NBA 2023 odds, but he simply ran out of gas here in the finals.
Butler saw his scoring average dip as each round went on. After burning the Bucks in the first round with 37.6 points per game, he averaged 24.6 and 24.7 points per game, respectively, against the Knicks and Celtics before averaging only 21.6 against the Nuggets.
He suffered an ankle injury against the Knicks, and it seems to have bothered him in these last few games, but he won’t use it as an excuse. With Butler locked in with the Heat through the 2025-26 season, he should continue to lead this team for the foreseeable future.
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