Heat turn back Nuggets in 4th quarter, level NBA Finals at 1-1

Gabe Vincent scored 23 points to help the visiting Miami Heat record a 111-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets, leveling the NBA Finals at one win apiece on Sunday, June 4 (Monday, June 5, Manila time).

Vincent made 8 of 12 shot attempts from the floor – including 4-of-6 from three-point range – as the Heat outscored the Nuggets by a 36-25 margin in the fourth quarter.

Bam Adebayo collected 21 points and 9 rebounds, while Jimmy Butler added 21 points and 9 assists for Miami, which hosts Game 3 of the best-of-seven series on Wednesday.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic recorded 41 points and 11 rebounds and Jamal Murray added 18 points and 10 assists. Murray, however, saw his game-tying three-point attempt with 1.9 seconds remaining hit the iron.

Aaron Gordon scored 12 points and Bruce Brown added 11 off the bench for the Nuggets, who fell to 9-1 at home in the playoffs.

Denver held an 83-75 lead through three quarters before Miami erupted for a 32-12 run over the first eight-plus minutes of the fourth. Duncan Robinson made a pair of treys and two layups and Butler converted a three-point play and three-pointer to highlight the surge.

Murray drained two three-pointers and Gordon also connected from beyond the arc to cut the Heat’s lead to 109-106 with 1:09 to play. Adebayo answered by making a pair of free throws and Jokic responded with a short jumper before Murray misfired on his game-tying attempt.

Kyle Lowry’s three-pointer trimmed the Nuggets’ lead to 77-75 with 2:08 left in the third quarter before Jokic scored the final six points of the period.

Butler drained a floating jumper to stake Miami to a 21-10 lead and Max Strus answered a modest Denver run with his fourth three-pointer to push his team’s advantage to 24-15 late in the first quarter. The Nuggets responded by scoring 35 of the game’s next 46 points, capped by Brown’s short jumper with 5:02 remaining in the first half.

Denver led 57-51 at the break. – Rappler.com