NBA FINALS - PART 2
Tonight's it time for Game 2, and as Denver leads the Finals 1-0 after a blow out win, this one is a key game. Maybe you wouldn't call an 11 points win a blow out, Miami won the 4th quarter by 10 when it was already over. Denver started out the game by using Aaron Gordons size advantage over Caleb Martin, who finished the opening quarter with 12 of his 16 points. Then Nikola Jokic went to work. As the Joker and Jamal Murray sort of made history, as they became just the fourth players of all time to have a 25-10 or better game in their Finals debuts. Even those stats means nothing, it still shows what type of game they had.
Jokic just proved to me that he's in the very top right now, playing at an all time level, and that the MVP award should've been his. And the way he produced yet another postseason triple-double is just remarkable. It's the efficiency and how easily he controls the game on the offensive end that impresses me. He's playing at the level I thought Luka was going to be at earlier this season.
Miami came out flat, and when Jimmy Butler has an off game, I can't see them beating the best team in the league. And even tho he had just 13 points, he still added 7 and 7 to it.
Tonight Miami has to steal one to get in the driver seat and go home to secure home court, otherwise I can't see them pulling this upset off. If Denver goes to South Beach up 2-0, i think they'll come back home 3-1.
I've read ton of articles and seen posts on SoMe about Denver having this altitude advantage, but just like Charles Barkley said, they have no banners to show for it. So it can't be a cheat code if it never got you any hard wear, because then Denver should've won at least once before. And not only some Division Champions banners.
Anyways, I think Miami will come out swinging tonight and play up to their standards, but I think Denver will once again show how much deeper they are as a team. If Michael Porter JR doesn't have another off game like Game 1 (as he was 2-11 from three) there's a good chance Denver will have 4-5 guys with 15 points or better. On a good % too.
But let's hope Playoff Jimmy shows up tonight.