I en rockkamp i ett spel 5, denDenver Nuggetsnått NBA-bergstoppen från foten av Klippiga bergen och vunnit sitt första mästerskap och inställningNikola Jokicsarv som all-timer i sten.
Kämpar på fula problem och enMiami-hettalag som vägrade att dö, Jokić samlade 28 poäng, 16 returer och fyra assist i en94-89 segerinför 19 537 skrällande fans som fyller Ball Arena. Jokić fick alla röster iFinalens MVPomröstning och avslutade ett historiskt slutspel för 7-fotsserben och hans lagkamrater i Denver.
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Som tvåfaldig MVP för ordinarie säsong och nu mästare, Jokićansluter sig till en berusande lista över storheter i basketsom endast inkluderar Bob Pettit, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan,Lebron James,Stephen CurryochGiannis Antetokounmpo.
"Jobbet är gjort", sa Jokić i postgame-sändningen, ödmjuk som alltid. "Vi kan gå hem nu."
Nuggets ledde med sju sent i fjärde kvartalet, och Heat var på en fem minuters poängtorka, närJimmy Butlergjorde 13 raka poäng för sitt lag, lyfte de åttonde-seedade zombiesna från graven och tog en 89-88 ledning in i de sista två minuterna. ABruce Brownput-back återförde ledningen till Denver, och Butlers omsättning med 27,4 sekunder kvar gav Nuggets en chans att äntligen lägga Miami till vila. Nuggets, 9-för-19 från linjen vid den tiden, gjorde fyra raka frikast nerför sträckan för att clinch.
Butler kunde inte uppskatta något av hans hjältemod. "Att jag vände på bollen", sa han. "Det var det som stod ut."
Butler fastnade i en eländig 2-för-13-natt när han slog den första av på varandra följande 3-poängare med 4:29 kvar. Butler sparkade in sin högra fotAaron Gordons ljumske på ett 3-poängsförsök en minut senare, men tjänstemän bekräftade ett kontroversiellt regelbrottmotNuggets framåt, och Butlers tre frikast trimmade marginalen till 86-85. Butler lindade ytterligare fyra poäng runt en Jokić upplägg för 89-88 kanten.
Miami verkade redo att förstöra Denvers firande tills Brown simmade genom ett hav av tre Miami-försvarare för att fångaJamal Murrays felande 18-fotare och satte hem serievinnaren med 91 sekunder kvar.
"De sista tre eller fyra minuterna kändes som en scen ur en film," sa Heat-tränaren Erik Spoelstra. "Två lag i mitten av ringen kastar hömakare efter hömakare, och det är inte nödvändigtvis att göra skott. Det är ansträngningarna. Killarna vacklade för att båda lagen spelade så hårt. Det är vad den här ligan ska handla om. Det finns inga ånger om vårt slut. Ibland blir man slagen, och Denver var det bättre laget i den här serien. Jag vet inte hur lång tid det skulle ta mig att gå igenom obduktionen av det här sista spelet, men det kommer förmodligen att rankas som vårt svåraste, konkurrenskraftiga, säsongens mest aktiva försvarsspel, och det föll fortfarande till korta."
Jokić slutade 12 mot 16 från golvet. Resten av Nuggets kombinerade för att skjuta 26 av 68 (38,2%). Denver som ett lag slutade 5-för-28 från 3-poängsintervallet (17,9 %) och 13-för-23 från frikastslinjen (56,5 %) och vann ändå på något sätt en avslutningsmatch lika ful som den var underhållande. Heat var inte bättre, slutade 33-för-96 från fältet (34,4%). Lagen hade totalt 34 fouls och 22 turnovers mellan dem.
Heat tvingade fram fyra omsättningar under de inledande minuterna men kunde inte dra nytta av, med start 3-mot-16. Nuggets tränare Michael Malone kallade på en timeout för att försöka lösa nerverna hos ett lag som spelar inför sin blodtörstiga hemmapublik, och hans spelare svarade (igen). Murray (14 poäng) ochJeff Greensandwiched dunks — en på en enhet, den andra utanför en back-cut — runt en smidig jumper frånMichael Porter Jr.(16 poäng, 13 returer). Denver flyttade bollen lika snabbt som den drev upp tempot, och en lavin hotade Miami.
Sedan, fyra minuter efter att Gordon begått sitt andra regelbrott, anslöt Jokić honom på bänken med två av sina egna vid 2:51-strecket i den första kvarten.Bam Adebayotog det på sin väg att attackera Green som en small-ball center och avslutade raka och-1:or. Hans 14 poäng i första kvarten vände matchen till Miamis fördel, 22-18.
I ett slag av en andra kvart lerad av 10 personliga fouls nästan jämnt fördelade mellan båda lagen, var Heat i sitt esse. Efter att ha startat 1-mot-9 i färgen, fann de framgång när de attackerade korgen, först med Jokić på bänken, och sedan när han aktivt undvek att begå ett tredje regelbrott. De fick åtta poäng från Butler, fyra till från Adebayo, alla antingen vid sargen eller frikastlinjen, och 15 poäng i ramen från bänken, inklusive tvåKyle Lowry3-poängare och en tredje avDuncan Robinson, för att bygga en potentiell kund så stor som 10.
Porters nio poäng och åtta returer i första halvlek höll Nuggets från ett sämre underläge, liksom 34 poäng i färgen. Miamis ledning på 51-44 i paus kändes lätt, med tanke på Denvers 1-för-15-skott från djupet.
Så, Nuggets gav Heat en stor dos Jokić tidigt i tredje. Han gjorde totalt åtta poäng och fem returer under de första fem minuterna av kvarten, och Murray knäppte Denvers rad av 13 raka missade 3:or, kopplade från hörnet i övergången till en jämn ställning, 60-60. Porter bröt sin egen 3-för-26-nedgång i finalen, drillade en 3 i övergången och gav Nuggets sin första ledning sedan första kvartalet, 69-66.
"Jag trodde inte att jag spelade så bra alla serier," sa Porter, 19 månader borta från en tredje ryggoperation på fem säsonger. "Jag vet inte vad som hände med mitt skott. Jag bryr mig verkligen inte. Jag fixar det under lågsäsongen. Jag menar, det var bra att kunna få ett par skott att gå i den här clinchern. Jag ska inte ens vara här, om jag ska vara ärlig mot dig. Efter allt jag har gått igenom ska jag egentligen inte vara en världsmästare."
En annan Lowry-trippel hjälpte Heat att bära en 71-70-kant in i den sista ramen, men Nuggets dök upp med smaken av en titel på sina trötta tungor. Murray hittade Jokić för en layup utanför porten och hittade sedan nätet på en andra raka 3-poängare. Denver ledde, 75-71, och Miami behövde en timeout. Butler hade 2-för-12 i matchen, Adebayo 1-för-5 sedan halvtid, och Nuggets försvar strypte Heat på ett snöre.
Butler gjorde en sista spark innan hans Heat äntligen dukade under. Redan en mil hög, Nuggets skjutit i höjden i sällsynt luft och avslutade en 16-4 blitz genom slutspelet. De gick med i 2017Golden State Warriors(16-1) och 2007san antonio sporrar(16-4) som de enda mästarna som förlorat färre än fem slutspelsmatcher sedan 2003, när NBA bytte till ett bäst-av-sju-format i den första omgången. Och Denvers fest har precis börjat.
"Vi är inte nöjda med en", sa Malone till Nuggets-trogna. "Vi vill ha mer."
Värmepresident Pat Riley "sa något för många år sedan", tillade Malone. "Jag brukade ha det på min tavla när jag var huvudtränare i Sacramento, och det talade om utvecklingen i det här spelet och hur du går från en ingen till en uppkomling, och du går från en uppkomling till en vinnare och en uppkomling. vinnare till en utmanare och en utmanare till en mästare, och det sista steget är efter att en mästare är att bli en dynasti. Så vi är inte nöjda.
FAQs
How did the Nuggets get Jokic? ›
In 2014, he was selected by the Nuggets in round 2 of the draft as the 41st overall pick. Jokic has also won the regular-season MVP twice — in 2021 and 2022.
Can the Nuggets win a championship? ›The Denver Nuggets have defeated the Miami Heat to become the 2023 NBA champions : NPR. The Denver Nuggets have defeated the Miami Heat to become the 2023 NBA champions The Nuggets beat the Miami Heat 94-89 — winning four out of the series' five games. Center Nikola Jokić was named the NBA Finals most valuable player.
What did Denver Nuggets win? ›The Denver Nuggets won their first NBA championship Monday night, downing the Miami Heat 94-89 at Ball Arena in Denver to take Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Two-time MVP Nikola Jokić led the way for the Nuggets with a game-high 28 points and 16 rebounds.
What is the Nuggets record without Jokic this year? ›| TEAM | SEASON | FT% |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Nuggets | 2022-23 | 85.0 |
| Denver Nuggets | 2022-23 | 72.2 |
| Denver Nuggets | 2022-23 | 78.9 |
| Denver Nuggets | 2022-23 | 76.0 |
Nikola Jokic won the 2023 NBA Finals MVP trophy...and then he lost it. In a sitdown interview with ESPN's Malika Andrews, the Denver Nuggets center revealed that he's misplaced the prestigious piece of hardware. Jokic said he left it in the Nuggets equipment manager's room, but it wasn't there when he returned.
Why do the Nuggets have a 6 on their jerseys? ›Yes, every player in the league has the No. 6 patch on their uniform to honor Russell, including every team having his number displayed above the NBA mid-court logo in a black-white-gold colorway.
What was the Nuggets highest scoring game? ›Denver Nuggets 168, Seattle SuperSonics 116; March 16, 2008.
How won NBA Finals 2023? ›Chasing History: Nuggets reach NBA summit (Ep. 31)
After a 47-year wait, the Nuggets are NBA champs after a Game 5 win vs. the Heat in which Nikola Jokic claimed Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP honors.
| FORWARD | POS | AGE |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Gordon #50 | PF | 27 |
| Jeff Green #32 | PF | 36 |
| Zeke Nnaji #22 | PF | 22 |
| Michael Porter Jr. #1 | SF | 24 |
The Nuggets set numerous unwanted records during this season, which started off with the team losing their first twelve games under new head coach, former Nuggets player Bill Hanzlik. The Nuggets finished with the league's worst record at 11–71, which was also the team's worst record in franchise history.
Why did the Nuggets change their name? ›
Becoming the Denver Nuggets
The winning choice was "Nuggets", in honor of the original Nuggets team in Denver from 1948 to 1950, the last year as a charter member of the NBA.
A triple-double is a single-game performance by a player who accumulates a double-digit number total in three of five statistical categories—points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots—in a game.
Who is the best player on the Nuggets? ›Nikola Jokic has been completely dominant in this year's playoffs as he and the Nuggets look for their first NBA title.
Who scored 73 for the Nuggets? ›It was the final game of the season for the Nuggets and head coach Larry Brown, a Hall-of-Famer, gave Thompson the green light to fire as many shots as he needed to take home the crown. Thompson sure did. The Nuggets swingman hoisted up 38 attempts, hitting 28 of them and went to the line 20 times, converting 17 times.
How good are the Nuggets without Jokic? ›Through two games, the non-Jokic stat has flipped again: The Nuggets have been plus-3.0 in the 82:20 minutes the two-time MVP has played, compared to plus-5.0 in the 13:40 he has sat.
Who is the only running back to win MVP? ›Running back O. J. Simpson became the first player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season en route to winning the 1973 award with the Buffalo Bills.
Who won the oldest MVP? ›Conversation. The oldest MVP in NBA history was 35-year-old Karl Malone in 1999.
Has anyone ever won MVP without winning the finals? ›Jerry West, the inaugural recipient, is the only player to win the award while being on the losing team.
Why is 69 banned in NBA? ›Why does the NBA not allow the number 69? The NBA does not allow the number 69 to be worn by players as it carries a sexual connotation and could offend some fans. Despite Dennis Rodman seeking permission to use it when he joined the Mavericks in 1997, the league declined and he had to settle for wearing #70 instead.
Why do the Nuggets have rainbow jerseys? ›The simplest answer is that the design pays homage to the history of the franchise. From 1981-1993, Denver sported the rainbow front-and-center on their jerseys with what is referred to as the “rainbow skyline” jerseys, the result of a fan design contest that they wore for over a decade.
Who is the NBA logo modeled after? ›
The socks are embroidered with the NBA logo and, well, Jerry West might as well be looking in the mirror. After all, the Hall of Famer has been depicted as The Logo — the silhouette outline that captures him dribbling with his left hand while dashing to the rim.
Who scored 70 points in an NBA game? ›Damian Lillard becomes first player in NBA history to score over 70 points in under 40 minutes in Portland Trail Blazers' win over Houston Rockets.
What's the lowest scoring NBA game? ›Lowest Scoring Game: Pistons vs.
22, 1950 than there were points scored on the court. In the lowest scoring game of all time, the Fort Wayne Pistons beat the Minneapolis Lakers 19-18 that day.
The lowest scoring game in DI men's college basketball history happened Dec. 15, 1973, when Tennessee beat Temple, 11-6. Temple held the ball for long stretches to run out the clock.
What is the longest win in NBA season? ›The Los Angeles Lakers own the longest winning streak in NBA history. They won 33 straight games in the 1971–72 season, compiling a season-best 69–13 record and went on to win the NBA Finals.
Who is most likely to win MVP NBA 2023? ›These are the last five winners: 2023: Joel Embiid. 2022: Nikola Jokic. 2021: Nikola Jokic.
Who is number 0 on the Thunder? ›Kenrich Williams | Oklahoma City Thunder | NBA.com.
Who is the tattoo guy on Nuggets? ›| Andersen with the Nuggets in 2009 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 7, 1978 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
20. There is one shining standout in this crowd, who happens to be my favorite Nuggets player ever (though a couple of current players are giving him a run). Had LaPhonso Ellis' knees not betrayed him, he'd be amongst the Nuggets upper pantheon, and no one else on this list even gives him a challenge.
Who has the worst record in NBA history? ›The Bobcats clinched the worst record in NBA history, in a shortened season or otherwise, by losing 104–84 to the New York Knicks on April 26, 2012.
What is the Nuggets lowest scoring game? ›
Since 1999-00, the Denver Nuggets have the fewest points by a team in a game, with 53 points versus the Pistons on November 16, 2002.
Who holds the Nuggets single game rebound record? ›Dikembe Mutombo has gotten the most rebounds for the Nuggets in a game, with 31 rebounds versus the Hornets on March 26, 1996.
Why are McDonald's nuggets different? ›According to McDonald's, the nuggets come in four shapes: the bell, the bow-tie, the ball and the boot. The reason for the four different shapes is to ensure consistent cooking times for food safety.
What are McDonald's chicken nuggets called? ›Chicken McNuggets® - Chicken Breast Meat.
What are chicken nuggets from mcdonalds called? ›4 Piece Chicken McNuggets® with All White Meat Chicken | McDonald's.
Has there ever been a 20 20 20 game? ›The first (and only other) player in NBA history to record a 20/20/20 game was the legendary Wilt Chamberlain (22 points, 25 rebounds, 21 assists), playing for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Detroit Pistons on February 2, 1968.
Has any NBA player had a quadruple double? ›The only other NBA players who have ever finished a game with a quadruple-double are Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. Olajuwon achieved the rare feat with 18 points, 16 rebounds, 11 blocks and 10 assists compared to 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 blocks for Robinson.
What is the fastest triple-double in NBA history? ›Jokic put together a dominant first half against the Milwaukee Bucks, recording the fastest triple-double in NBA history with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in only 14 minutes and 33 seconds of game time. Jokic broke the previous record set in 1955 by Jim Tucker of the Syracuse Nationals.
How much do Nuggets players make? ›| Player (10) | Pos. | Cap Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Porter Jr. Michael Porter Jr. | SF | $33,386,850 |
| Aaron Gordon | PF | $22,266,182 |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | SG | $14,704,938 |
| Brown Jr. Bruce Brown Jr. | SG | $6,802,950 |
The 1975-76 Nuggets had the best record in the A.B.A. They were led by three future Hall of Famers: Bobby Jones, Dan Issel and David Thompson. Nicknamed Skywalker, Thompson had been the top draft pick in 1975 in both the A.B.A., by the Virginia Squires, and the N.B.A., by the Atlanta Hawks.
Who is the tall guy on the Nuggets? ›
| No. 15 – Denver Nuggets | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 19, 1995 Sombor, Serbia, FR Yugoslavia |
| Nationality | Serbian |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 284 lb (129 kg) |
Wilt Chamberlain - 73 points - San Francisco Warriors on Nov. 16, 1962. Chamberlain went 29 of 43 from the field and 15 of 19 from the line while pulling in 14 rebounds in a 16-point win over the Knicks.
Who has the most assists in Nuggets history? ›Nikola Jokic has the most career assists for the Nuggets, with 3,959 assists.
Can Jokic not dunk? ›I never dunk." The 6'10" star is certainly more known for his artful passing than aerial acrobatics, but he has dunked in NBA games before. While he won't get far off the ground, he can rattle the rim when uncontested. After appearing to finally cave, Jokic lodged the ball between the rim and the backboard.
Who are the Nuggets best bench players? ›The Nuggets' go-to bench lineup, which features Brown, Gordon, Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, and Jeff Green and has appeared in six of seven playoff games for Denver, has outscored their opponent 59-48 in 26 postseason minutes.
How are the Nuggets so good? ›The formed chicken nugget is breaded three times — first in a light batter, then in a breading with celery and white pepper, and finally in a thick tempura batter that contains leavening agents to aerate the batter. This gives the McNugget the crispy, yet airy texture and lightly spiced flavor.
Why did Allen Iverson get traded to the Nuggets? ›For a variety of reasons, including a reported disagreement with the coaching staff, Iverson requested the trade. On December 19, 2006, the Sixers obliged. As part of the deal, Philadelphia sent Iverson and Ivan McFarlin to Denver, who sent back Andre Miller, Joe Smith and two first-round picks in the 2007 NBA draft.
Is Jokic sponsored by Nike? ›The only thing more quiet and underappreciated than Jokic's game is his Nike basketball shoes. In addition to revitalizing the sport, the 6'11" phenom has brought back high-top shoes.
What was Jokic drafted at? ›There was also less respect for the European game back in 2014, which led to Jokic being drafted 41st overall. Famously, a Taco Bell commercial was even playing at the moment his pick was announced.
Was Jokic at Nuggets parade? ›But Jokic wound up looking very happy on Thursday as he rode atop a fire engine with his family during the parade through the streets of downtown. And at a rally at Civic Center Park afterwards, the huge crowd chanted "MVP" "MVP" as Jokic stood up to speak at the podium.
What did the Nuggets get for Carmelo? ›
It's been over 12 years since the Nuggets agreed to trade Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks in exchange for four players, one first-round draft pick, two second-round draft picks, and $3 million in cash.
Why didn't Iverson get a ring? ›They both scored, but it didn't add up to much in the way of winning. Allen Iverson did not win a ring because his style of solo offense and gambling on defense made for more highlights than it did wins.
Did Allen Iverson get his money? ›Oddly enough, ABG acquired the athletic wear company in 2022. Per reports, the Virginia native could ultimately receive a $32 million pay day on his 55th birthday thanks to the Reebok endorsement, originally signed in 2001. Additionally, Iverson receives an annual check of $800,000 as a result of the lucrative deal.
How did Michael Jordan get sponsored by Nike? ›Michael Jordan had never even worn a Nike shoe at the time but was convinced by his parents to take the deal over Adidas, commencing the legendary partnership between Michael Jordan and Nike. The Air Jordan was born and the rest is history.
Who is Michael Jordan sponsored by? ›“MJ continues to be one of the most recognizable people in the world, and we're thrilled he's working with us to make the world a more comfortable place.” Jordan's endorsements with Nike, Gatorade, Upper Deck and Hanes all stretched more than 30 years, and the other three remain active.
What is Nikola Jokic net worth? ›Nikola Jokic's net worth in 2023 is $50 million. This is according to outlets such as Celebrity Net Worth.
Will Nikola Jokic make the Hall of Fame? ›Nikola Jokic is one of the best basketball players on the planet. If he were to retire today, he would almost certainly become a Hall of Famer. But if he were to win a ring for the Nuggets, he would make the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
What pick was Michael Jordan? ›Michael Jordan was selected 3rd overall by the Chicago Bulls.
Who was picked before Jokic? ›Julius Randle was selected 7th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers. Zach LaVine was selected 13th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Nikola Jokić was selected 41st overall by the Denver Nuggets and was named league MVP twice, in his sixth and seventh seasons respectively.
How many people went to Nuggets parade? ›Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said the crowd size was estimated at 700,000 to 1 million. The rally saw everyone from infants to older Coloradans and both lifelong Nuggets fans and self-admitted bandwagon-jumpers, who only became fans in the last few days.
What did Jokic say at parade? ›
Nuggets' Nikola Jokic says parade is 'best time of my f---ing life,' and it sounds like Bruce Brown is staying.
Was Allen Iverson in the Nuggets? ›Denver Nuggets (2006–2008)
On December 19, 2006, the Philadelphia 76ers sent Iverson and forward Ivan McFarlin to the Denver Nuggets for Andre Miller, Joe Smith, and two first-round picks in the 2007 NBA draft.