With a monster triple-double Game 3 from Nikola Jokic (32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists) and Jamal Murray (34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists), the Denver Nuggets regained homecourt advantage and defeated the Miami Heat 109-94 in the NBA Finals (www.NBA.com) on Thursday morning.
The Nuggets shot 51 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Heat 65-41 and will look to take control of the series on Friday night, before the best-of-seven series returns to Denver on Monday.
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 28 and 22 points respectively, but struggled on the offensive end of the floor and were the only Heat players who scored in double figures. Adebayo also added 17 rebounds.
Game 4 is on Friday night (Saturday morning, 2:30 a.m. CAT). The Nuggets lead the series 2-1.
Quotes
MICHAEL MALONE (Denver Nuggets head coach on Jokic and Murray): “That’s what champions do. That’s what warriors do. They battled back. I felt his presence all day long. Forget the stats for a second. I felt Jamal’s presence, his energy, and he was here in the moment, and for him and Nikola to do what they did tonight in a game that we needed to take, regain home-court advantage of the series was special to watch.”
NIKOLA JOKIC: (Denver Nuggets): “It’s not just us, it’s the team, and like I said even before the series started, Denver Nuggets need to beat Miami, not me and Jamal and whoever is on the other side. We as a group need to beat them.”
JAMAL MURRAY (Denver Nuggets): “It’s a trust and a feel, that’s the best way for me to put it. It’s not really X’s and O’s. It’s just reading the game and trusting that the other is going to make the right play. If he throws it to me, he knows and expects what to see from me, and he knows the mood I’m in, the intensity I’m playing with, whether it’s low or high, time and score, and vice versa.”
NBA Finals – Media Resources
Please see the postgame media availability transcripts attached and additional resources below.
- Photo: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets looks to pass during the second quarter against the Miami Heat in Game Three of the 2023 NBA Finals at Kaseya Center on June 07, 2023 in Miami, Florida (NBAE/Getty Images).
- Video and Audio: Game 3 postgame media availability (https://apo-opa.info/3qmPpoD)
- 2023 NBA Finals: Schedule (https://apo-opa.info/3WNt2F3)
- Sign up for NBA ID (https://apo-opa.info/43hMNqU) for more NBA content, including NBA Finals and more
- For additional media resources, including the latest announcements, transcripts, NBA Finals media guide and more, sign up @ NBA Media Central (https://apo-opa.info/45IVADB)
