His postgame interview finished, Nikola Jokić made his way toward a tunnel lined with fans hell-bent on welcoming him there. One last M-V-P chant for the two-time winner. One last roar. After watching the seven-foot Serbian pick apart Miami’s defense, watching him spin, twist and slip his way to another triple double, watching the Nuggets sprint to a largely drama-free 104–93 Game 1 win, a swarm of gold-clad supporters packed against the Ball Arena railings to let Colorado’s homegrown superstar know how much they appreciated him.
One game, one win but in dropping Miami into an 0–1 hole you had to wonder whether this was where the Heat’s Cinderella season would end. This was the game Miami could win, could steal. Denver was off for nine days after breezing past the Lakers, the Heat razor sharp after a seven-game series with Boston. Before the game, Michael Malone issued a warning: Miami had gone into Milwaukee, New York and Boston and taken the first game of those series. Said Malone, “We did not want them coming in here taking control of the series on our court.”
They didn’t. Aaron Gordon set the tone early. Entering the series, Gordon was expected to be Denver’s primary deterrent to Jimmy Butler, and he was, forcing Butler into more shots (14) than points (13) and, for the plus/minus fans out there, a team-low -17. It was Gordon’s offense, though, that carried Denver early. With Miami opting for a switching defense, Gordon took advantage, scoring 12 points in the first quarter, powering the Nuggets to a nine-point cushion.
