The Serbian star inspired the Denver Nuggets to their first title after a 4-1 series win over the Miami Heat
Author: Michael
From the opening jump of the 2023 NBA Finals, Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was prepared for everything his Miami Heat counterpart would hurl at his team, and Erik Spoelstra will unfurl anything.
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Malone and the rest of the Nuggets have made sure no one can ever question their championship credentials again.
Editor’s Note: This column originally appeared on Marc Stein’s Substack and is syndicated with permission by SB Nation. To subscribe to Marc’s Substack, sign up here:
1. No doubting Denver anymore
There was zero MVP debate once we left the regular season behind and moved into the playoffs.
The Nuggets became one of the top topics on social media on Monday night after closing out the Heat to win the 2023 NBA Finals, 4–1.
Denver’s 94–89 Game 5 victory over Miami gave the franchise its first championship in its 47-year existence, ending the NBA’s longest running title drought in the team’s first-ever trip to the Finals. The win also capped a dominant 16-4 postseason run.
The narrow win featured more heroics from Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray, as the Nuggets star duo once again paced their team to victory.
There are heartbreaking losses, and then there’s the way Texas saw its season end during Monday night’s super regional game against Stanford.
With the series tied at one game apiece and the winner of Game 3 clinching a spot in the College World Series, the Longhorns rallied for three runs in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game, 6–6. The score stayed the same heading to the bottom of the ninth, when Stanford got two baserunners with two outs.
Denver’s two-time MVP has one of the most unique roads ever to a title.
The Nuggets squeezed by the Heat in a frantic Game 5 on Monday night to capture the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship.
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was named NBA Finals MVP after leading Denver to the NBA title over Miami.
For the first time in their 47-year history, the Nuggets are NBA champions. Denver knocked out Miami in a grueling, back-and-forth Game 5 to clinch the title. The Nugs ultimately held on for a 94–89 win after a tense fourth quarter, and Nikola Jokic was unsurprisingly named Finals MVP.
Here are three thoughts on the final game of the season.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray both played at least 41 minutes in Denver’s title-clinching win, contributing a combined 42 points, 24 rebounds and 12 assists.
Texas outfielder Dylan Campbell was having a dream season. It ended badly.