#Suns v lakers score series#
#Suns v lakers score free#

Teams have had success against Denver in the regular season ( 52.5 points allowed in the paint) and postseason ( 48.7 points allowed in the paint entering Game 1) by attacking the basket. The Nuggets don’t have a dominant rim protector, so there are points to be had inside the paint. Miami had 10 fewer drives in Game 1 (35) than they averaged in the playoffs leading up to the Finals ( 44.8 per game). Will the Heat attack the rim more in Game 2?

#Suns v lakers score free#

A big reason Miami only shot two free throws was their lack of drives to the basket. There has to be a better balance of stretching the floor with 3-point shooting and attacking the basket for layups, dunks or fouls.

When they rallied in the fourth quarter, the Heat made 6-of-12 shots from 3-point range.īut that variance is dangerous. Miami got down by 24 points while missing a bunch of open looks as they shot 7-of-27 (25.9%) from 3-point range in the first three quarters. No player or team is immune to an off shooting night. And the Heat generated more wide-open looks from three in Game 1 (16) than they averaged through the first three rounds of the playoffs (11.3). In their 18 games leading to the Finals, the Heat shot 43.1% on catch-and-shoot 3s and 45.6% on wide-open 3s. So, logic would suggest that if the Heat generate the same number of open 3s in Game 2, and these three players shoot closer to their playoff averages, then the Heat should be in good shape as they try to even the series. The odds of Max Strus (0-10 FG, 0-9 3FG), Caleb Martin (1-7 FG, 1-2 3FG) and Duncan Robinson (1-6 FG, 1-5 3FG) combining to shoot 2-of-23 from the field and 2-of-16 from 3-point range are extremely low. At the very least, force him to get the ball further away from the basket and with less time on the shot clock to work with in the half court. He is the orchestrator of the Nuggets’ offense. Miami needs to treat Jokic like Steph Curry and shadow him 94 feet and deny him the ball. They simply can’t let Jokic survey the floor, read the defense like a quarterback and pick them apart.Īdebayo did a good job mixing up fronting Jokic and trying to keep him from getting post entries, but that same level of denial was not seen on the perimeter. The Heat have to get the Nuggets out of their comfort zone in the half-court offense. And it could mean bringing Kevin Love off the bench after he received a DNP.Īnother factor is upping the level of physicality on defense. That could mean more minutes for Cody Zeller, who allowed three points and one assist in 2:20 of defensive matchup time on Jokic in Game 1. There are obvious concerns of foul trouble for Bam Adebayo – Miami’s best player in Game 1 – if he is tasked with guarding Jokic without help. Of course, saying the Heat need to make Jokic a scorer rather than a playmaker is a lot easier to do than doing it on the court. Is forcing Nikola Jokic to score the Heat's best hope? If we just focus on this season, the Nuggets are 20-8 (.714) when Jokic scores 30 or more points, and they are 25-1 (.962) when he dishes 12 or more assists. In the 14 games when he’s posted 15-plus assists, the Nuggets are 12-2 (.857).

In Jokic’s 20 career games with 40-plus points, the Nuggets are 13-7 (.650). The evidence points toward the Nuggets being at their best when Jokic is dishing rather than swishing (shoutout to the legend Clyde Frazier). It should be noted that the Heat won the fourth quarter 30-20, the only quarter of the game Denver did not win. Then in the fourth quarter, he had 12 points but only two assists. Through the first three quarters, he had just five shot attempts and 12 assists, as he prioritized setting up his teammates. His all-around game allows him to beat opponents in multiple ways: He can just as easily drop 40 points (20 career games with 40-plus points) as he can dish out 15 assists (14 career games with 15-plus assists).

The phrase “pick your poison” is often used when describing two-time Kia MVP Nikola Jokic. With the first game in the books, the chess match between head coaches Michael Malone and Erik Spoelstra will take center stage in the two days off before Game 2 on Sunday ( 8:00 ET, ABC).

#Suns v lakers score series#

The Denver Nuggets opened their first-ever NBA Finalsappearance with a 104-93 win over the Miami Heat, taking a 1-0 series lead. The Nuggets cruised to victory in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals.