The Denver Nuggets have won the first NBA title in franchise history after beating the Miami Heat 89-94 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
While Miami managed to put up enough resistance to make things interesting, Denver once again showed that they are a better and more talented team. They overcame a seven-point deficit at the half and then survived a late Heat comeback in the fourth quarter to deservingly be crowned the NBA champions for the 2022-23 NBA season.
The Nuggets were led by two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who once again put up a masterful performance that saw him score a game-leading 28 points to go with 16 rebounds and four assists. His fellow All-Star Jamal Murray struggled with shooting, hitting 6-15 from the field, but still managed to affect the game with his playmaking by dishing eight assists. Michael Porter Jr. pitched in with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Jokic, who was by far the best player in the NBA Finals and this year’s playoffs, was named NBA Finals MVP and received the Larry O’Brien trophy.
After finishing first in the Western Conference, Denver strolled through the postseason. They needed five games to close out the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round and then beat the star-studded Phoenix Suns in six games in the semis.
Nuggets’ Conference Finals clash against the LA Lakers was easier than expected, as they swept LeBron James and co. Finally, the Heat did their best to make their life hard in the NBA Finals, but their best simply wasn’t enough.
Now, the Nuggets will enjoy their celebration and rest before trying to do it all over again next season.
“We clearly can do it,” Murray told the reports. “So let’s do it again.”
