12 points in the first quarter “Find a favorable matchup and attack it”
The Heat, who have made an impressive run from the 8th seed in the playoffs, have beaten the Bucks, Knicks and Celtics all in their first outings on home soil, stymieing their opponents and boosting their w their own morale. But after the Nuggets’ first-ever NBA Finals opener, Jamal Murray said with a fearless smile, “Have we ever lost a Game 1?” The No. 1 Nuggets have come this far without dropping a home opener.
Nikola Jokic’s two free throws in the 3rd minute made it 8-7, and the Nuggets continued to defend their lead, winning 104-93. The key was offense and defense in the early stages of the game. There’s a wide variety of variations in Jokic and Murray’s pick-and-rolls, and it’s hard to tell which one will shoot from Aun’s breathing. The Heat must have spent all their pregame time working on this, but it’s absolutely non-stop. Aaron Gordon was the finisher.
Double-teaming Jokic and keeping an eye out for Murray on the move isn’t enough, but it’s not enough to cover ‘The Third Man’. Jokic matched the pass to Gordon, who jumped into the space created to go to the screen, and Gordon was able to overwhelm the size mismatch even if there was a player who came to help. The Heat are a team that rides waves of good defense into offense, but their expert defense didn’t work and they fell behind.
When told that his offensive performance in the early stages of the game was “like the Magic period,” he said, “You know Nuggets basketball? I attacked where I felt I should have competed here.”
He was an ace in the Magic era, but he’s transformed into a team player who prides himself on his defense, so he’s probably uncomfortable with the words, “It’s like the Magic era. ” Still, “I was delighted,” he said. “The people around me gave me opportunities to overwhelm the opponent’s defence.
Gordon has entered the playoffs and has been matched against Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves, Kevin Durant of the Suns and LeBron James of the Lakers. Gordon, who supports the Nuggets in defense and rebounding, scored 12 points on 6-of-8 field goals in the first quarter alone, and continued to contribute to the team with his ‘real job’ defensive rebounding .
Jokic and Murray will be the aces for the Nuggets, but Gordon has no problem. “I’m not here to be praised, I’m here to win,” he said with a smile. “I’m very happy to play with the guys on this team. They’re talented, they’re technical, they’re passionate about basketball. This is the environment I’ve always wanted. I don’t care if I score 50 Whether it’s a goal or not, as long as I can contribute to the team’s victory, that’s fine.”
It was the first NBA Finals appearance for the Nuggets. “The crowd today was fantastic,” praised Gordon, remembering the atmosphere in the arena which was a blast. “During the national anthem, I was like, ‘It’s the NBA Finals!’ It was a great feeling. The fans cheered us on. It’s been a great season, but today it’s even higher. Seeds”
“We don’t lose our rhythm even on the big stage. We have standards that we have built throughout the year, and when it’s a big stage like this, those standards become live. Keep doing what you always do.”
