Miami Heat unlocked the door to victory, beating the Denver Nuggets 111-108 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, tying the best-of-seven series 1-1 and adding intrigue.
Denver’s Jamal Murray missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer that could have forced overtime.
Miami used an impressive fourth quarter, overcoming an 83-75 deficit and outsourcing the Nuggets 36-25 in the final 12 minutes.
Gabe Vincent led Miami with 23 points, Bam Adebayo added 21 points and nine rebounds, and Butler finished with 21 points and nine assists.
The Nuggets nearly stormed back from a 12-point deficit with only a few minutes left in the fourth quarter, but their defense betrayed them. The Heat outscored Denver 36-25 in the fourth quarter.
Beyond Nikola Jokic’s 41-point night, Murray was the Nuggets’ second-leading scorer with 18 points. Michael Porter Jr. struggled mightily on both ends, finishing with just five points, while Aaron Gordon added only 12.
“Let’s talk about effort,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said after the game, perplexed that it was even a talking point at this stage of the season.
“It’s defense and discipline,” echoed Murray.
The heats will be hosting Denver Nuggets this Thursday for the game 3