NBA: Heat ready for another shot at Nuggets

DENVER -- Miami are confident they can turn up the Heat against the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

The Nuggets dominated in a 104-93 game-one triumph in the best-of-seven series on Thursday, when Miami's chances were doomed by their inability to connect on shots -- including a 33.3% success rate from three-point range.

Max Strus was 0-for-10 from the field, Caleb Martin 1-of-7 and Duncan Robinson 1-of-6.

But Heat talisman Jimmy Butler -- himself held to 13 points -- said he has a simple message for those teammates, who have played a key role in making Miami the second eighth-seeded team ever to reach an NBA Finals.

"Stay aggressive, because you've been the reason that we have won so many games before," Butler said Saturday as the team practiced in Denver in preparation for Sunday's game.

"You are going to be the reason that we win games now. and that's never going to change."

The Heat collectively agreed -- in the immediate aftermath of Thursday's defeat and after studying game video -- that they had plenty of good opportunities in game one.

"We did see some things that we liked and we got some great looks, myself included," Strus said. "We've got to knock those down, and we've got great shooters on our team, and we will knock those down."

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said it wouldn't take much to open the floodgates.

"In terms of the shooters, that's pretty simple," Spoelstra said. "Let it fly. Ignite.

"Once they see two go down, it could be three, it could turn into six just like that," he added with a snap of his fingers. "As long as we are getting those clean looks, that's what matters."

Butler said there are other adjustments to be made after a game in which the Heat got to the free-throw line just twice -- a record low for an NBA playoff game.

"I think I've got to be more aggressive putting pressure on the rim," he said. "I think that makes everybody's job a lot easier."

And Butler said there was no sense of panic in a Heat team that saw a 3-0 lead against Boston evaporate before Miami finished off the Celtics in game seven of the Eastern Conference finals.

"We're OK, we really are," he said. "We are very calm. We are very collected. We have so much confidence, still.

"It's not going anywhere. We're going to believe in one another, always, no matter what, home or away -- And we're still going to get four (wins)."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: LeBron, Lakers ready to tackle 'monster' Jokic

LOS ANGELES -- LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will attempt to overcome the formidable challenge posed by Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets as the Western Conference playoff finals get under way on Tuesday.

After struggling through the regular season, the Lakers are within four wins of returning to the NBA Finals after ousting the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Friday.

Now James and Lakers defensive star Anthony Davis are plotting an ambush of the top-seeded Nuggets in game one of their best-of-seven Western Conference finals series on Tuesday.

The showdown is a rematch of the Lakers-Nuggets 2020 playoff series in the NBA's Covid-19 bubble in Orlando, when the Lakers won 4-1 before going on to win their 16th championship.

Since then, however, Denver has matured significantly, with Jokic winning back-to-back NBA MVP awards in 2021 and 2022 as part of a team that also includes the talented Jamal Murray.

James said Monday he has no doubt that the 2023 version of the Nuggets will be a stiffer proposition.

"They're a better team," James said when asked to compare Denver with the team beaten in Florida three years ago.

"Obviously, they're more experienced. Every game, every postseason, every matchup allows you to continue to grow as a franchise, as a team, and they've done that.

"So, we come in with the utmost respect for this team that we're challenged against and playing against, so look forward to the matchup."

Denver and the Lakers squared their meetings in the regular season at two games apiece, with the Nuggets winning their most recent encounter on January 9.

Drawing firm conclusions from those results, however, is largely meaningless as the Lakers overhauled their roster in the mid-season trade window and James and Davis did not feature in the most recent January game.

Davis said the Lakers planned to pore over footage of the 2020 series in an attempt to design a game plan capable of nullifying Jokic and the Denver line-up.

"I think the biggest key will be making the ball find the guys we want it to find, just play off of that," Davis said.

While the Lakers have been red-hot through the playoffs, with Davis rediscovering his best form at the perfect time, James says he is under no illusions about the size of the task facing his team-mates.

"They've been the No. 1 team in the West for a reason," said James.

"They've played exceptional basketball all year. And we're going in with the utmost respect for their ballclub. They're very well coached and obviously we know the dynamic of what Joker [Jokic] brings to the game and also Jamal Murray, being back fully healthy. And the rest of those guys.

Jokic goes into Tuesday's series-opener in blistering form, averaging a triple-double of 34.5 points, 13.2 rebounds and 10.3 assists in the series win over Phoenix.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham described Jokic as "that monster in the Rocky Mountains that's waiting on us."

"You're talking about a two-time MVP, with a well-balanced squad, hungry, great synergy, great chemistry, great ability, athleticism, shooting, all of the above," Ham said.

"So, we're going to have our work cut out for us, but they gotta guard us too, so we're going to do our due diligence as we always do and be prepared for Game 1."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Nuggets take 3-0 lead over Timberwolves

LOS ANGELES -- The Denver Nuggets, fueled by a Nikola Jokic triple-double, beat Minnesota 120-111 on Friday to take a 3-0 stranglehold on their NBA Western Conference playoff series.

Jokic scored 20 points with 11 rebounds and 12 assists, and when he was limited by foul trouble in the third quarter his teammates kept the pressure on.

Michael Porter Jr scored 25 points to lead six Nuggets players in double figures and Denver's reserves out-scored the Timberwolves bench 29-10.

They kept the Timberwolves at bay despite a sparkling 36 points from Anthony Edwards, whose three-pointer early in the third pulled Minnesota within three points.

They were down by five with less than five minutes remaining, but couldn't break through.

Jokic, who led the league with 29 triple-doubles in the regular season, said he knows they'll be even more determined on Sunday to prevent a sweep on their home floor.

"We know they're going to go even more aggressive in two days," Jokic said. "So we just need to keep our composure and we know what to expect."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Nikola Jokic's big effort helps Nuggets hold off Clippers

Nikola Jokic had 26 points, matched his career best of 22 rebounds and also contributed eight assists as the visiting Denver Nuggets rallied to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 103-100 on Sunday night.

Will Barton scored 17, Davon Reed added 15 points and Austin Rivers and Monte Morris had 12 apiece for Denver.

Eric Bledsoe had 18 points and a season-high 10 assists, Brandon Boston Jr. also scored 18 points and Ivica Zubac recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Terance Mann had 11 points and eight rebounds and Serge Ibaka scored 10 for the Clippers.

The Nuggets missed their first two shots of the fourth and fell behind 86-79 before Rivers drained a 3-pointer to end the drought. Los Angeles increased its lead to 91-82 on Amir Coffey's 3-pointer with 9:04 remaining but Denver found its offense.

Barton had a three-point play and a 12-foot jumper and Reed and Jokic hit buckets in an 11-2 run that tied it.

Zubac split a pair of free throws Jokic drained a 3-pointer to put the Nuggets ahead 96-94 with 3:50 to play. Barton made a layup after a miss at the other end and Rivers' second 3-pointer of the period made it 101-95 with 1:53 left.

A Denver turnover led to a 3-pointer from Luke Kennard to make it 101-100 with 19.7 seconds left. Jokic hit two free throws with 12.7 left and Boston missed a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Denver led by two after the first quarter but the Nuggets built a lead in the second. Reed hit a 16-footer and a 3-pointer and Bones Hyland made two layups in a 9-0 run that gave Denver a 46-35 lead. The Clippers got within six on Bledsoe's three-point play but Barton's five points put the Nuggets ahead 64-55 at halftime.

Denver continued to add to the lead to start the third quarter, going up 74-57 with 7:45 left but Los Angeles rallied.

Down 79-66, the Clippers scored 17 straight points while the Nuggets went cold for the final 5:34 of the period. They missed their final 12 shots and ended the quarter with two straight turnovers. Los Angeles outscored Denver 28-15 in the period.

-reuters

LeBron, Lakers back in NBA Finals after holding off Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers, fueled by a triple-double from superstar LeBron James, beat the Denver Nuggets 117-107 on Saturday to reach the NBA Finals.

With the win in the league’s quarantine bubble in Orlando, the Lakers completed a 4-1 victory over the Nuggets in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals.

James scored 16 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers remained perfect in elimination games this post-season.

Denver, already the first team to twice come back from 1-3 series deficits in the same playoffs, couldn’t work the magic again.

James added 16 rebounds and 10 assists, and Anthony Davis scored 27 points for the Lakers, who are back in the championship series for the 32nd time — and the first time since they lifted the trophy for the 16th time in 2010.

Kobe Bryant was NBA Finals MVP that year, and it has been an emotional road to the finals this season for the Lakers after the death of Bryant in a helicopter crash in January.

They will take on the winners of the Eastern Conference final series between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. The Heat lead that series 3-2 with game six coming up on Monday.

“We’re going to enjoy it tonight, but we understand we’ve got bigger fish to fry,” James said as the Western Conference title was celebrated on court. “We understand there’s a bigger goal.”

Nikola Jokic and Jerami Grant scored 20 points apiece for the Nuggets and Jamal Murray added 19 points with eight assists despite being slowed by injury.

Agence France-Presse 

Kemba Walker suffers concussion against Nuggets

Boston guard Kemba Walker was diagnosed with a likely concussion after being stretchered off the court during the second quarter of the Celtics’ 106-102 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday.

Walker had his head down and collided head first into the stomach of teammate Semi Ojeleye with just over three minutes remaining in the first half.

Walker lay motionless for a few minutes and paramedics put a neck brace on him before he was eventually removed from the floor.

The club announced after the game that Walker was being examined at a local hospital for a concussion.

The 29-year-old veteran is in his first season with the Celtics, averaging 22.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 14 games.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic fined $25K for postgame comments

NEW YORK — The NBA has fined Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic $25,000 for using derogatory and offensive language during a postgame interview.

Jokic made his comments to the media following the Nuggets’ 108-107 overtime victory against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 31.


The fine was handed down Wednesday by league discipline executive Kiki VanDeWeghe.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Westbrook has triple-double, leads OKC comeback for OT win

DENVER — The Denver Nuggets contained Russell Westbrook for three quarters, but he took over with the game slipping away from Oklahoma City.

Westbrook had 36 points, 18 assists and 12 rebounds for his sixth triple-double, and the Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 132-129 in overtime on Friday night.

Westbrook scored 24 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to help the Thunder rally from 13 down and end a three-game losing streak. His 18 assists were a season high and the most in an NBA game this season.

“It’s happened a couple of games. It’s happened at different points throughout the year,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “It’s his will, his competitiveness and get our team in a position where we had a chance.”

Victor Oladipo had 26 points for the Thunder and a couple of key buckets late in the fourth, one off a steal.

“He did a great job, using his size, his length, getting out in transition and getting steals,” Westbrook said. “That helped us a lot, got us easy buckets.”

Westbrook scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to start the comeback. His two free throws with 9.5 seconds left made it 122-119, but Denver tied it when Steven Adams fouled Jamal Murray on a 3-point attempt and the rookie hit the free throws.

Kenneth Faried blocked Westbrook’s layup at the horn to send it into overtime, but the Thunder felt confident after rallying.

“We’ve got to win,” Westbrook said of the mood on the bench. “Very simple.”

Wilson Chandler finished with a season-high 30 points and 11 rebounds. Jameer Nelson had 21 points and 13 assists, both season highs, for the Nuggets.

“I thought we played well enough offensively for sure to win the game,” Nelson said. “We just couldn’t get stops when we needed them.”

Oladipo hit two free throws to put the Thunder ahead 128-126 in overtime. The Nuggets had a chance to tie in the final 20 seconds but Chandler missed a layup and Westbrook hit two more free throws with 13.7 seconds left.

“We lost a shootout,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “My biggest disappointment is that we were never able to consistently get stops. We knew Westbrook at some point was going to go off.”

TIP-INS

Thunder: Westbrook finished an assist shy of his career high. He also had seven turnovers. … Oklahoma City has used the same starting lineup in all 17 games.

Nuggets: Murray finished with 20 points and seven rebounds. … Denver had just 10 players active. Mike Miller and Will Barton were away from the team for personal reasons. Danilo Gallinari (right thigh), Juancho Hernangomez (right ankle sprain) and Gary Harris were all out. … Denver Broncos Hall of Famer and current team executive John Elway was sitting courtside.

SCARY MOMENT

Murray took a hard fall when he was fouled on a dunk attempt. He was on the floor for a few minutes but got up and hit the two free throws.

OLD SCHOOL

Malone expressed plenty of admiration for Westbrook before the game. Malone likened the NBA’s leading scorer to a bruiser from the days when the league was known for its rough play.

“I think he’s a throwback player,” Malone said. “I think he’s a guy that would have excelled back in the ’80s, which is my favorite period of the NBA when (there wasn’t) all this lovey-dovey, hug-and-kissing and no hard fouls. There were real rivalries and everything earned and every game you won had to be earned.”

UP NEXT

Thunder: Host Detroit on Saturday.

Nuggets: At Phoenix on Sunday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Nuggets hold on for 102-99 win over Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota—As Minnesota Timberwolves forward Nemanja Bjelica let a 3-pointer fly at the buzzer, Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone was already preparing for overtime.

“After the last couple games, it’s kind of like here we go again,” Malone said. “To see it actually in and out was kind of nice for us to get a favorable bounce.”

Wilson Chandler scored eight of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and Bjelica’s 3 rattled out to help the Nuggets outlast the Timberwolves in a 102-99 victory.

Danilo Gallinari scored 19 points and Jusuf Nurkic added 18 as Denver erased a 15-point deficit in the first half. The Nuggets outscored Minnesota 45-23 off the bench and shot 48 percent for their second win of the season.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 32 points and 14 rebounds and Andrew Wiggins scored 25 for the Timberwolves, who gave away a lead of at least 15 points for the third time in four games this season. Bjelica scored 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter.

“It’s like we have half of the puzzle done and we don’t finish the puzzle,” Towns said.

Denver led by 13 with eight minutes to play, but Bjelica’s scoring flurry helped the Wolves pull within 102-99 with 90 seconds to go.

Emmanuel Mudiay responded with a three-point play and the Wolves missed three 3-pointers that would have tied the game in the final 30 seconds to help the Nuggets hold on. Jameer Nelson had 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and Mudiay finished with 12 points and six rebounds.

“It was a sloppy game,” said Mudiay, who had six of Denver’s 22 turnovers. “It was a bad game for us personally but we picked it up and we did what we had to do.”

Minnesota led by 17 in the season opener against Memphis and 18 at Sacramento, but lost both games.

Denver outscored Minnesota 33-14 in the third quarter to surge to a 13-point lead, with Nurkic bulling his way to the paint and Gallinari knocking down 3s from the perimeter.

But the Nuggets have been just as shaky with the lead in this young season, including letting an eight-point lead slip away against Portland in the final 90 seconds before losing in overtime.

“The third quarter is haunting us right now,” Wiggins said.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Warriors stave off Nuggets; Faried taken off on stretcher

OAKLAND, California — Klay Thompson made a driving finger roll with 15.6 seconds left in overtime and the short-handed Golden State Warriors stayed undefeated at home, holding off the Denver Nuggets 111-108 on Saturday after Stephen Curry bruised his left leg again.

Following the game, Denver forward Kenneth Faried was taken off the court on a stretcher with a neck brace stabilizing his head. Faried, injured late in the game, raised his arm for a thumbs-up to fans who stuck around.

After being attended to by medical personnel, he left the court approximately 10 minutes after the game ended.

Replays showed Faried took an elbow to the back of the neck. He scored 15 points and had 12 rebounds in nearly 29 minutes for the Nuggets, who lost their fifth straight game.

Curry came back following a two-game absence because of a bruised lower left leg, but sustained a contusion on his left shin and didn’t play the entire second half. The reigning NBA MVP finished with five points, four assists and two steals in 14-plus minutes.

Will Barton, whose two shots late in regulation forced the extra period, missed an off-balance shot following Thompson’s go-ahead basket. Thompson then made one of two free throws before Barton’s desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer hit the rim.

Draymond Green knocked down his first four 3-point tries in the opening 3 1/2 minutes on the way to 29 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists for his NBA-leading sixth triple-double.

The Warriors had just seven players available for overtime. They blew a 26-point lead before hanging on for their 34th straight regular-season win at Oracle Arena, including a franchise-best start of 16-0 this season.

Barton dunked with 34.5 seconds left and with 0.9 on the clock as the Nuggets rallied to force OT.

Thompson scored 26 points on 11-for-27 shooting for Golden State (31-2). Green’s 18 first-quarter points were a career best for a single quarter.

Danilo Gallinari returned to the Denver lineup and scored 24 points after sitting out six games with a sprained left ankle.

Curry went through his regular pregame routine after missing the past two games, including the team’s second defeat all season Wednesday at Dallas.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: Westbrook keys Thunder Rally

Russell Westbrook poured in 30 points with 12 assists and nine rebounds on Sunday as the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied for a 122-112 NBA victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets.

Thunder forward Kevin Durant added 26 points and 10 assists for his eighth double-double of the season as Oklahoma City bounced back from a Christmas Day loss to the Chicago Bulls.

As they had two days earlier, the Thunder got off to a slow start, largely because they were unable to contain Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried.

Faried scored 10 of his 25 points and pulled down three offensive rebounds in the first six minutes.

Denver, effectively double-teaming Durant, led 61-53 at halftime. They extended the lead to 11 points to open the third quarter, but Durant scored 12 points in the third period to help the Thunder take a one-point lead into the final frame.

With 7:17 left in the fourth, Thunder center Enes Kanter completed a three-point play to give the hosts a 101-97 advantage.

Kanter added two free throws to stretch the lead to six, and a layup from Joffrey Lauvergne, a Westbrook Dunk and a fastbreak Dunk from Serge Ibaka put Oklahoma City up 107-99 with 5:09 to play.

Denver again cut the lead to three but would get no closer, Durant delivering two layups and Dion Waiters converting a steal into a dunk as the Thunder rolled to the finish.

“I do think we’re capable of being better,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “I think we’ve shown that. I think the concentration, the focus and just the will to defend at the level I think we’re capable of defending has to be an area we continue to grow and get better at.”

Grizzlies halt skid
In Memphis, the Grizzlies snapped a two-game skid with a 112-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

With the win, the Grizzlies took their record to 17-16, avoiding dropping below .500 for the first time since November 15.

“We just wanted to win,” said the Grizzlies’ Spanish center Marc Gasol, who scored 16 points with six assists. “Last night (in Charlotte) we played two and a half quarters of good basketball and it’s not enough.”

The Lakers went into the game allowing a league-worst 107.2 points per game, and could do little to slow the Grizzlies offense.

Memphis connected on 45 of 80 shots for a 56.2 percent average and handed out a season-high 30 assists.

“We need to focus a lot more,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said of his team’s defense.

“Seems like we are stepping too slow. I don’t think it’s physical to be honest with you, because tonight the effort was there. From the mental standpoint, we just look like we’re fried.”

But Lakers veteran Kobe Bryant was again feeling the physical strain, this time with a sore right knee.

“Honestly, I wasn’t going to play,” Bryant said, adding that he changed his mind because he knew that with his retirement coming at the end of the season, fans across the country are turning out to see him play.

“I got on the bus and saw all the fans,” Bryant said of the sizeable contingent of Lakers backers in attendance. “I would feel really awful if I didn’t come in here and play.”

source: sports.inquirer.net