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Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone’s blunt honesty and his players’ willingness to own a lackluster effort made a difference in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray got back to their effective two-man game, and the Nuggets’ re-commitment to defense led to a 109-94 victory over the Miami Heat and a 2-1 series lead.
Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray lift Nuggets to 2-1 series lead
Jokic recorded the first 30-point, 20-rebound triple-double in Finals history, finishing with 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists, and Murray notched a triple-double by putting up 34 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. This is the first time in NBA history ― playoffs or regular season ― that teammates had 30-point triple-doubles.
“I have no doubt that our guys will go out there and play a much better game than we did in Game 2 in Denver,” Malone said hours before tipoff and three days after calling out his team for their effort in Sunday’s loss.
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The Nuggets responded the way Malone thought they would. Rookie Christian Braun had his biggest game of the series with 15 points on 7-for-8 shooting, and Aaron Gordon had 11 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Denver dominated inside, outscoring the Heat 60-34 in the paint and outrebounding them 58-33.
Teams that win Game 3 of a 1-1 NBA Finals go on to win the series 80% of the time (32-8), and teams that lead the Finals 2-1 have won the title 79% of the time (49-13).
The Nuggets regained home-court advantage and have put themselves in position to head back to Denver with a 3-1 series lead. Game 4 is Friday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
Malone had bemoaned Denver’s fourth-quarter play, pointing out the Nuggets were outscored 65-44 in the fourth of the first two games. Denver built a 93-72 lead early in the fourth quarter and did enough to hold off the Heat.
Miami shot just 37% from the field and 31.4% on 3s. Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 17 rebounds.
Kyle Lowry exits game after awkward fall; Udonis Haslem checks in
With 1:02 remaining in regulation, Lowry slipped on the floor and nearly did the splits. He gingerly walked to the sideline after the awkward fall and was subbed out of the game.
Heat veteran Udonis Haslem entered the game in the final 29.1 seconds, his first appearance in the 2023 NBA Finals. He attempted an 11-foot jumper, which he missed, but he still made history. The 42-year-old became the oldest player in an NBA finals game.
Heat fans leave early with Miami down double digits
Nikola Jokic makes NBA Finals history with triple-double
Jokic recorded the first 30-point, 20-rebound triple-double in Finals history. He also extended his NBA single-season, playoff triple-double record to 10 games, recording another one midway through the fourth quarter with an assist. Jokic had 30 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists with 5:48 left in the fourth quarter. It was his 16th career playoff triple-double, third-most all-time behind LeBron James (28) and Magic Johnson (30).
Christian Braun stretches Nuggets’ lead to 21 points
Braun was on fire in the fourth quarter.
He made back-to-back buckets to extend the Nuggets’ lead to 21, their largest of the game. Jamal Murray connected with Braun for a layup. He was fouled in the process by Kyle Lowry and converted his free throw for a three-point play. On the Nuggets’ next possession, Braun went right at Jimmy Butler in the paint and hit a floating jump shot over him to put Denver up 93-72 with 8:28 remaining.
Braun has 15 points in 19 minutes off the bench.
Q3: Nuggets 82, Heat 68
The Nuggets made their statement in the third quarter, breaking out to a 19-point lead with one minute left. But the Heat might consider itself lucky to only be down by 14 at the end of the third quarter.
Nuggets rookie Christian Braun dunked and yelled at the crowd to give Denver its biggest lead of the game. After getting picked on by the Heat and Duncan Robinson in the fourth quarter of Game 2, Braun has 10 points in Game 3 off the bench.
Denver outscored Miami 29-20 in the third quarter, and now it’s time for the fourth quarter – which has given the Nuggets fits against Miami in the first two games.
Anything Jimmy Butler can do, Nikola Jokic can do better.
It was a battle between the star players for both teams during the third quarter with Denver having the edge. After Butler drained a 3-pointer to give the Heat some life, Jokic drained one of his own to give the Nuggets a 13-point lead.
And Denver’s lead broke open to 16 points after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit a jumper to deflate the energy in Miami’s arena. Joker has 12 points and five rebounds in the third quarter alone, and could be on his way to a triple double.
Jamal Murray’s hand appears OK; Nuggets open lead
The Nuggets wasted no time stretching their lead to start the second half, but Jamal Murray appears to be playing with some discomfort on his left hand.
Nikola Jokic opened with a jumper, Aaron Gordon had back-to-back dunks, and the Nuggets raced out to a 11-point lead – the biggest of the game.
Jimmy Butler responded with two easy shots near the baskets, and Kevin Love sank a three-pointer.
Murray still was able to get a rebound after a miss to tip it back in, showing he’s back in the swing of things after flexing his hand near the start of the third quarter. Murray hurt it on an offensive rebound attempt with 9:59 remaining in the quarter. There was a scramble on the floor and when he came up he was holding his hand.
Gabe Vincent picks up third foul
It has not been Gabe Vincent’s night. He sat a majority of the second quarter after picking up two back-to-back fouls in one second. He reentered the game with 2:28 left in the first half and was quickly called for another foul seconds later.
Vincent was called for a loose ball foul after Aaron Gordon collided into him with 2:28 remaining. Lowry entered the game for Vincent, who has five points in 15 minutes.
“Wrong place, wrong time, wrong call,” ABC’s Jeff Van Gundy said over the broadcast. “To me, this is not a foul.”
Halftime: Nuggets 53, Heat 48
Denver and Miami entered the second quarter deadlocked, but the Nuggets closed out the first half with a five-point lead, tied for their largest of the game.
Denver’s Nikola Jokic registered a double-double at halftime, again, with 14 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. He’s three assists away from a triple double, while Jamal Murray leads the Nuggets in scoring with 20 points. Denver is collectively shooting 47.7% from the field, but is only 4-for-13 from three.
Jimmy Butler has a team-high 14 points, while Bam Adebayo has his own double-double. He has 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Heat are shooting 39.1% from the field and are 5-for-14 from three.
Adebayo hammers ‘Bam Slam’ over Jokic; Jamal Murray answers with three
Caleb Martin missed a reverse layup in the second quarter, but Bam Adebayo was there to clean up the rim with a put-back dunk over Nikola Jokic. ESPN announcer Mike Breen dubbed it a “Bam Slam.” The dunk put the Heat up by two, but the Nuggets answered back immediately with a three from Jamal Murray, his third of the night, to take the lead back.
Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon, Heat’s Gabe Vincent in foul trouble
Aaron Gordon got into early foul trouble, picking up his second foul less than a minute into the second quarter. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also has two fouls, while Nikola Jokic has one.
Miami’s Gabe Vincent quickly picked up back-to-back fouls with 8:51 remaining in the half and had to sit down. Vincent was called for colliding with Jamal Murray and he was called for another foul while battling for position on a high inbound pass.
The Nuggets have two free throw attempts, compared to the Heat’s seven.
Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade gets standing ovation
“D-Wade with a huge ovation from the Heat crowd after the first quarter in Game 3,” USA TODAY Sports’ Safid Deen tweeted from Kaseya Center on Wednesday.
1Q: Nuggets 24, Heat 24
It was back to the Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray show for the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter of Game 3.
Murray scored eight of Denver’s first 10 points, and then two-time MVP Nikola Jokic picked up his offense later in the quarter. Jokic had 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists, and the Nuggets shot 52.2% from the field though they missed their five 3-point attempts.
While Miami found some open shots, the Nuggets were more active defensively, holding the Heat to 9-for-23 shooting (39.1%) in the opening quarter.
Miami’s starting five contributed in a variety of ways: Jimmy Butler had 10 points; Gabe Vincent added five points; Bam Adebayo had four points and four rebounds; Max Strus delivered four assists and Kevin Love made an early 3-pointer.
Who sang NBA Finals Game 3 National Anthem?
Artist Nehemie sang the anthem.
Dwyane Wade hugs Jimmy Butler; more celebrities attend Game 3
Celebrities are just like us: They love sports! But unlike a majority of us, the biggest stars in movies, TV and music have the means to cheer on their beloved teams courtside. Game 3 of the NBA Finals was no different.
Star-studded attendees included musicians Shakira, J Cole, DJ Khaled, G-Eazy and Future, NBA champions Dwyane Wade (former Heat star, too) and Magic Johnson, actor Chris Tucker, soccer stars Neymar and Paul Pogba, in addition to Twitch star Kai Cenat.
What are NBA Finals courtside tickets prices? How do celebrities get them?
A who’s who of Hollywood has been featured in courtside seats during the 2023 NBA playoffs.
Actors, musicians and athletes have been spotted on the sidelines throughout the postseason to not only see the action up close and personal, but to be seen. Whether it’s Jack Nicholson returning to his courtside seats in Los Angeles for the first time in nearly two years or Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny having a date night, celebrity attendees have become an attraction themselves for viewers.
Travis and Jason Kelce. Kim Kardashian. Floyd Mayweather. Russell Wilson. Michael B. Jordan. Adele. Rob Lowe. Kevin Hart. The list goes on.
That may lead some to wonder: How do stars get front-row seats? We talked to TicketSmarter CEO Jeff Goodman about courtside seats and how many celebrities obtain them. Here’s what you need to know. — Cydney Henderson
Kevin Love proves vital to Miami Heat on and off the court in run to NBA Finals
Kevin Love could only smile. Love’s importance to the Heat – coach Erik Spoelstra quickly took the blame for not starting him in Game 1 – became a hot topic and then a matter of evidence through two games of the NBA Finals: the first a Miami loss, the second a Miami victory.
Love – a 15-year veteran playing in his fifth Finals – has become connective tissue for the Heat during their playoff run. And when he’s starting, as he did in Game 2, Miami is more likely to win.
The Heat are 11-4 with Love in the starting lineup and 12-5 in all games he’s played for Miami during the postseason.
“I think just being myself, unapologetically,” Love says as the reason why he’s been able to fit in so well with the Heat. — Safid Deen
Larry O’Brien Trophy speeds way into Game 3
The Larry O’Brien Trophy arrived in style, again.
After skydiving into downtown Denver ahead of Game 1, the coveted trophy arrived “at full speed by cigarette boat” as the series shifts to Miami on Wednesday. ESPN host Malika Andrews accompanied Larry on the ride as the boat reached speeds of 105 mph. It was smooth sailing for Larry, but can the same be said about the Heat and Nuggets?
Heat’s Caleb Martin close to 100% after chills, migraine in NBA Finals
Heat swingman Caleb Martin is feeling closer to 100% after dealing with chills, body aches and a “heavy, heavy migraine” during the first two games against the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals.
“I am feeling better now – definitely a lot better,” Martin said Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s Game 3 at Kaseya Center, with the series tied 1-1.
“I feel like I’ve almost got it out of my system, so definitely feeling a lot better than I did the last two games … Just a couple of these meds and I’ll be alright.” — Safid Deen
Miami Heat starting lineup for Game 3
- PG Gabe Vincent
- SG Max Strus
- SF Jimmy Butler
- PF Kevin Love
- C Bam Adebayo
Denver Nuggets starting lineup for Game 3
- PG Jamal Murray
- SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
- SF Michael Porter Jr.
- PF Aaron Gordon
- C Nikola Jokic
NBA Finals Game 3 betting odds
Tipico Sportsbook has the spread favoring Denver by 2.5 points over Miami. They have the moneyline for Miami set at +130 and for Denver set at –150. They have the over/under for total points set at 214.5.
DJ Khaled wants Miami Heat to win another one
Miami Heat superfan DJ Khaled is in the building. The Grammy-winning DJ and music producer stopped by ABC’s “NBA Countdown” ahead of Game 3 at Kaseya Center to praise the Heat: “Our team is the definition of team work.”
“It is definitely Heat culture. But it is also the players embracing the Heat culture,” Khaled said. “When you come to Miami, we are different… I think we have showed you that through the years and years of us being champions, making the playoffs… another one, another one. We keep doing what we do. You have to respect us.”
Khaled said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is “one of the best coaches in the game. He deserves that title“ of Coach of the Year, which Spoelstra has never won in his coaching career. “That’s crazy,” Khaled added.
NBA Finals Game 3 referees
Crew chief Tony Brothers, referee Josh Tiven, umpire Kevin Scott and alternate Ben Taylor are the officials for Game 3.
When was the last time Miami hosted an NBA Finals game?
Miami hasn’t hosted an NBA Finals game in nearly nine years. It means a lot to the Heat players, just as much as their fans.
“I’m so happy for the city of Miami, this organization,” Jimmy Butler said. “(The fans) deserve to win the Finals and win a championship. We will do anything in our power to make that happen, but I just know that the energy in there is going to be unmatched. It has been throughout this entire playoffs run, even in the regular season.”
The last NBA Finals game to be played in Miami was June 12, 2014, when the Heat hosted the San Antonio Spurs for Game 4. Miami, led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, lost the game to the Tim Duncan-led Spurs and eventually the series, 4-1.
The Heat made it to the NBA Finals in the 2020 bubble season against the Los Angeles Lakers, but the championship series was played on a neutral site in Orlando. The Heat lost to the Lakers in six games.
“I know (the fans) are going to show up and show out and I know we are going to do the same,” Butler added.
Michael Malone: Game 2 loss was a ‘wake-up call’ for Nuggets
Nuggets coach Michael Malone said losing Game 2 to the Heat, Denver’s first loss at home this postseason, could be a negative that turns into a positive in Game 3: “Maybe it’s a wake up call. I have no doubt our guys will play a much better game than we did in Denver.” — Safid Deen
Heat’s Udonis Haslem spoke for many Floridians (and Americans) by bashing Ron DeSantis | Opinion
Miami Heat player Udonis Haslem did something recently that a lot of Floridians likely want to. That a lot of athletes in Florida would probably like to do as well. Hell, that a lot of Americans want to.
He bashed Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida and a Presidential hopeful, as an embarrassment to the state. Haslem did it in no uncertain terms. No holding back. No caveats. Haslem spoke the truth and did something important while doing it. He used his power not just to bring attention to the abhorrent things DeSantis is doing in Florida, but also condemn them.
Make no mistake: what Haslem has done is courageous because he risks an attack from DeSantis and his allies. They can try and make his life miserable but Haslem doesn’t seem to care. — Mike Freeman
Why defense is Nuggets’ biggest concern headed into Game 3 of NBA Finals
Much has been made of Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic’s offense and how the Miami Heat try to defend him.
In Miami’s 111-108 Game 2 victory, tying the NBA Finals at 1-1, Jokic had 41 points but just four assists as the Nuggets fell to 0-4 all-time in the playoffs when Jokic scores 40 or more. His four assists were a playoff-low this season.
While the Heat’s strategy to slow Jokic will continue to be a topic, the Nuggets were still an efficient offensive team through two games. The bigger concern is their defense and the effort on that side of the court.
“If you really want to simplify the first two games, in the first three quarters we have dominated both games,” Denver coach Michael Malone said. “The Miami Heat are dominating the fourth quarter.” — Jeff Zillgitt
Is Tyler Herro playing tonight?
Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro (hand) has been ruled out for Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
“We’re still day-to-day,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Wednesday, ahead of Game 3. “I don’t have another update for you. He is scheduled to have another full-contact workout (Thursday). He has not been cleared yet. So until he has been cleared, a lot of this stuff is really just hypothetical.”
How to watch the NBA Finals
ABC is broadcasting each game. You can live stream the game on Hulu with live TV, ESPN, DirecTV Stream and YouTubeTV.
NBA Finals TV schedule 2023
- Game 1: Nuggets 104, Heat 93
- Game 2: Heat 111, Nuggets 108
- Game 3: Heat vs. Nuggets | Wednesday, June 7 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Game 4: Heat vs. Nuggets | Friday, June 9 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Game 5: Nuggets vs. Heat | Monday, June 12 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) *
- Game 6: Heat vs. Nuggets | Thursday, June 15 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) *
- Game 7: Nuggets vs. Heat | Sunday, June 18 | 8 p.m. ET (ABC) *
*if necessary
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