Nuggets silence Heat with 109-94 Game 3 win to take 2-1 NBA Finals lead

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray had dueling triple-doubles and Christian Braun was a revelation off the bench as the Nuggets regained home court advantage on Wednesday by beating the Heat 109-94 on the road.

Jokic had 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists and Murray himself scored a triple-double with 34 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.

But in a game that was only five points apart at halftime, rookie Braun also proved to be a catalyst, scoring 15 points in just 19 minutes, while his defensive energy also supported Denver.

That makes him the first Western Conference rookie with a 15-point finals game since Sam Cassell in 1994. Statmuse.

“I always talk about him as a champion, as a winner,” Jokic told ESPN after the game.

Jokic also made history in the game, as his 30-20-10 effort was the first such performance in NBA Finals history – while he and Murray became only the second teammates in Finals history with 25 points and 10 assists in the same match. , if Basketball reference noted.

Jimmy Butler needed 24 shots to get 28 points as his Heat fell at home in Game 2

Jamal Murray led the Nuggets in scoring with 34 points and a triple-double of his own

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he thought the duo’s performance was their best ever together and that both received praise after the game.

“This guy has shown time and time again that he is built for these moments,” he said of Jokic. “He thrives in these moments.”

He said of Murray: “I felt his presence all game long…he was here, he was in the moment.”

Miami and Denver were tied at 24 apiece after the first quarter and the Heat were still in range after two as well.

But the Nuggets began to peel away in the third quarter – where they outscored the Heat 29-20 – and led by as much as 21 in the second half as they pulled off a relatively drama-free win.

The Heat’s top two players, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, combined for 48 points, but failed to score the ball efficiently.

Christian Braun was a huge bougie off the bench for the Nuggets with 15 points

Kevin Love (left) and Caleb Martin of the Miami Heat talk Wednesday in the fourth quarter

Butler needed 24 shots to reach 28 points, while Adebayo had 22 on 21 attempts from the field.

Outside of that duo, only Caleb Martin (10 points) made double digits for the home side, while Miami shot just 37 percent from the field.

Meanwhile, Aaron Gordon added 11 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Nuggets.

Game 4 is on Friday at 8:30 PM ET.