DENVER — The Nuggets were reminded by Jamal Murray’s return from the bench that, despite his struggles, he is a valuable addition to their starting lineup. Despite Aaron Gordon’s absence, Denver’s best team played some of its best offensive basketball of the season in a 135-122 victory over the Heat on Friday, with Murray scoring 28 points after missing the previous three games due to a concussion.
Nikola Jokic finished the game with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists on 11 of 13 shooting in 40 minutes, earning his sixth triple-double in nine games in just 27 minutes. Before the flawless game finished, Christian Braun made his first six shots of the evening for 19 points, continuing his scorching adjustment period with the starting lineup. 21 points were provided by Michael Porter Jr. In his successful comeback, Murray also made four 3-pointers, pulled down four rebounds, and contributed six assists while avoiding a couple careless errors.
After dropping their opening two games of the season, the Nuggets (6-3) have won six of their last seven games.
Even with Jokic on the court, Miami’s 26-point lead was cut to 14 by the end of the third quarter, and it made no difference that they made 20 of their 43 3-point attempts. With a 40-point first quarter and a 15–4 run in the first three minutes of the second half, Denver’s starting lineup made offensive plays appear effortless for long amounts of time. The scores were evenly distributed. Even Peyton Watson, who replaced Gordon due to injury, scored 16 points.
Michael Malone became as adventurous as he has been this season as Miami put pressure on the Nuggets to defend a fairly tenuous lead without Jokic in the fourth quarter. After a rapid 10-0 Heat run in three minutes and change, Jokic’s rest time had been a complete bust in the first half. Malone then experimented with a fresh version of the second unit.
No one played center in place of Zeke Nnaji. Russell Westbrook, Julian Strawther, Watson, Murray, and Porter were in the lineup. What made Westbrook last? Because he was officially one of the five, if anyone was. The player chosen to protect Bam Adebayo was him. On the first possession of the quarter, he was stopped. At 4:45, Malone remained with the unconventional quintet.
Six minutes into the game, Heat forward Jimmy Butler hobbled off the court and was promptly declared out due to a sprained right ankle. Before the injury, Watson fiercely protected him, providing yet another quick look at the developing defensive skills of Denver’s 2022 draft tandem of Watson and Braun.
Miami was led by Tyler Herro, who scored 24 points. Adebayo contributed twenty. Never one to back down, the Heat rallied late to cut the deficit to seven points, but with ninety seconds remaining, Jokic scored a 3-pointer to increase the lead to thirteen. For the third time this season, it also put him over the 30-point mark. It was his 135th triple-double in his career.
