Joker Strikes: Denver Nuggets Win Game 3 | NBA Finals 2022-23 Victory

Joker Strikes || Denver Nuggets Wins Game 3 || NBA Finals 2022 - 23

On Wednesday night, June 7 the Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat 109-94 to take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals thanks to a record stat line from Nikola Jokic of 32 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists, as well as a triple-double from Jamal Murray. Never before in a single game did two members of the same team record 30-point triple-doubles. not throughout the regular season. never made the postseason. Never in the NBA Finals, for sure, Until Now.

On Wednesday night, Nikola Joki and Jamal Murray created history, and the Denver Nuggets are now only two victories away from making some history by clinching the NBA Championship. 

Nikola Jokic was unsettlingly composed in his postgame interview after Denver's Game 2 loss, saying "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose." It should not be surprising that his reply was calm. We know how he plays the game, and on Wednesday night in Miami, he gave Colorado fans that calm back by turning in a historic effort as the Nuggets regained the series' home-court advantage.

Jamal Murray's poor start, in which he scored zero points in the first quarter, and Jokic's inability to distribute the ball as we are used to seeing it were two key takeaways from the game in Denver in Game 2. These were issues that the Nuggets instantly rectified, as Murray scored 8 points in the opening five minutes and Jokic finished the half with 14, 12, and 7 assists. 

For Miami, Bam Adebayo ended with 22 points and 17 rebounds, and Jimmy Butler scored 28 points. For Miami, Caleb Martin added 10 points.

As Denver's defence tightened up in response to Nuggets coach Mike Malone criticising his team's drive and effort in the Game 2 defeat, Miami was finding it difficult to make shots. The Heat only committed one turnover in the opening period, but they shot below 40%, while Jamal Murray led the Nuggets in scoring with 20 points at the break. 

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo kept the Heat in the game. Bam had another strong performance, finishing with 22 points and 17 rebounds, with the majority of those numbers coming in the first half. The Heat's inside-out lineup struggled in the second half, scoring just 20 points in the third quarter as Jokic and Christian Braun increased the Nuggets' advantage to 21 points.

Jokic is now officially the seventh player to record two triple-doubles within a single championship. LeBron James and Magic Johnson both accomplished it in three finals. Butler, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, and Draymond Green all had a championship series with two triple-doubles.

Nuggets are just 2 games away from clinching its 1st ever NBA Championship and this could be the best chance for it.