NBA Finals Nuggets: Nikola Joki and Jamal Murray handed the Nuggets a 2-1 series lead

Following Game 2, Michael Malone acknowledged as much, and he repeated it before the start of the game on Wednesday night. He was speaking about his Denver Nuggets' troubles against the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter of this NBA Finals.

[{"selector":"#anim-dc17f5fd-842d-4f45-a055-aa9d2272b1b8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-20.202893797668033%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-96f3ea79-090e-4929-83c0-60c28f23c485","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ea66a556-8f00-4b65-924b-a824088b86a9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Pic Credit: Google

At the start of the third and final period of Game 3 at the Kaseya Centre, visitor Denver led by 14 points thanks to Nikola Joki and Jamal Murray's strong play.

[{"selector":"#anim-57157fc7-ae01-40b5-910a-d82de510fdad [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-6.216131431836008%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-634f192e-1933-4ca4-9893-d59c51959e33","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1a9fddf3-3f25-4f8e-b895-085d2906a0b4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Pic Credit: Google

Instead of leaving Murray, Aaron Gordon, and the Nuggets' trio of regular reserves—the versatile Bruce Brown, the freshman Christian Braun, and the seasoned Jeff Green—on the court this time, Malone chose to leave Joki there.

[{"selector":"#anim-590c0763-42d5-4aa9-a125-b3947b48270e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(16.16194172277362%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4e7b0cdb-23f6-4350-933b-203fc01a90c6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5b5c5888-6f27-4895-8371-a23c2ec607e3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Pic Credit: Google

Joki was amazing in every way. Denver was forced to leave him on the floor, giving the Nuggets a chance to regain the home-court advantage.

[{"selector":"#anim-1afdd18f-aacd-41aa-bcb0-75b259446d6a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-15.688775457504711%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bc660e14-a9f6-4e32-89a8-2ef9321dd614","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fc182855-665b-4404-a75e-698c4a1f191c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Pic Credit: Google

Denver's 109-94 victory over the Heat, which restored a 2-1 series lead for the Nuggets, was the genuine triumph of the Finals for the two-time MVP, who became the first player in NBA history to record at least 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game.

[{"selector":"#anim-d67023ff-5274-4e1d-b721-f7d6cb589574 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fb6f4656-5b9b-4de1-a85b-58b472ca9e65","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bd1a1356-9438-4eca-a197-cd030b25783a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Pic Credit: Google

Final scoring for Joki: 32 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists. Is there any other way to define Serbia's performance on this championship stage at this point but "masterpiece"?

[{"selector":"#anim-df9e6ca8-056d-4fd7-b747-1e135dd22457 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-24.980463739308256%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-207438e7-5ae4-4530-8ddb-900c50b88002","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-edfc68bc-d67a-4176-8c94-2ac3108870e6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Pic Credit: Google

The bookends of Denver's offense spent most of the game working their well-honed two-man game, with Joki receiving feeds from Murray in the paint and the assured guard pulling up for step-back triples and midrange finishes.

[{"selector":"#anim-f95deef8-ef8c-4ff0-a386-8b0a0dd7f47d [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(15.726565979550552%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d71e57fd-304e-40e3-9d65-98663d9ee04f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9a81c0e3-466c-4d9a-a10f-939c371995b4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Pic Credit: Google

Murray would end up scoring a career-high 34 points, adding 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his own 30-point triple-double. But for the entire series, the Nuggets lacked a reliable third offensive player. Gordon's early-game domination in the interior of Game 1 has not continued.

[{"selector":"#anim-a5449242-01eb-4ee8-95bb-724f783b3e38 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(2.144531724484164%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-86ae333c-aae1-46b0-9743-53e96ca38909","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dc352066-63a9-4d34-a34b-50fb4c5c6186","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Pic Credit: Google

During his 19 minutes on the court, Braun scored a whopping 15 points. On several of Murray's drives throughout this game, Braun took a backdoor shot down the baseline against Miami's zone defense with Duncan Robinson on the field.

[{"selector":"#anim-c272520e-f54b-4821-9bdb-c9ebf9c7feb8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-18.87244882196697%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2c3ea428-9fd8-45e4-8bd8-8a0232fa4ee3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b9314a30-95cb-4870-8090-ba250a0474f4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Pic Credit: Google

The Nuggets' inability to finish the game against this tough opponent, the quarter in which they blew their first postseason home game in Game 2, was nothing more than a low hurdle to clear once this battle moved to South Florida.

[{"selector":"#anim-dec91399-fc03-4771-9595-6dac18ffe380 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(18.596938620186435%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bb0a1b74-b7af-4b16-96b6-2fd62e7ecd11","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-800844a5-163a-4986-9517-4d2954a30701","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Pic Credit: Google