The Colorado Springs Gazette final

Malone says lack of effort to blame for first home loss

BY CHRIS TOMASSON chris.tomasson@gazette.com

DENVER • The Nuggets make a big deal about reminding opponents of Denver’s milehigh altitude. The number “5,280” is written on the court for feet above sea level and placed at other strategic locations at Ball Arena for opponents to see.

With that in mine, foes are supposed to wilt at the end of games in Denver.

But that hardly was the case Sunday night. In Game 2 of the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat whizzed by the Nuggets in the left lane to the tune of 36-25 in the fourth quarter for a 111-108 win to tie the series at 1-1.

It was the first home loss this postseason for the Nuggets. Previously, they had been 9-0 and had outscored foes by an average of 11.9 points.

“If we play like that, then we expect to lose like that,’’ guard Jamal Murray, whose 3-point attempt clanged off the rim just before the final buzzer, said of his Nuggets falling apart down the stretch. “We can’t play like that, so if we play away, home on the road, doesn’t matter. We’ve got to have a better showing.’

For Nuggets coach Michael Malone, the answer was simple as to why the Nuggets blew leads of 15 points in the second quarter and eight points to enter the fourth quarter.

“We’re talking about effort,’’ Malone said. “That’s a huge concern of mine. … This is not the preseason, this is not the regular season. This is the NBA Finals.”

Malone shrugged off any thoughts that the Heat were supposed to collapse down the stretch because of the altitude.

“The altitude, too much is made of that, I think,’’ Malone said. “Miami has been here for probably like a week now, so they’re acclimated. … They came out in that fourth quarter with a huge sense of desperation, and we didn’t match that. … (With the Heat in the fourth quarter having a) 13-2 start, they kind of take control of the game and just our inability or unwillingness to get stops and have a defensive mindset in the fourth quarter was very problematic.”

The Heat shot 69 percent in the fourth quarter, and it led to the Nuggets wasting a 41-point, 11-rebound

performance from star center Nikola Jokic. But the triple-double machine had five turnovers and just four assists, his lowest total in this postseason, on a night in which he didn’t get a lot of help.

“I don’t think about assists or whatever,’’ Jokic said. “I was just playing.”

It was suggested after the game that the Heat were content to try to let other players beat them. But coach Erik Spoelstra shot that down.

“That’s ridiculous,’’ Spoelstra said. “That’s the untrained eye that says something like that. … You can’t just say, ‘ Oh, make him a scorer.’ That’s not how they play. They have so many different actions that just get you compromised.”

On Sunday, Jokic shot 16 of 28 from the field. The only other Nuggets player with more than five field goals made was Murray, who shot 7-of-15 and scored 18 points.

It led to the Nuggets’ first home loss this postseason and this is the first series they have not led 2-0. They had jumped out to such leads against Minnesota, Phoenix and the Los Angeles Lakers.

“We just didn’t play well, the right way in the fourth quarter,’ Jokic said. “We didn’t want (the first home loss this posteason) to happen, of course, but it happened. So we’re going to live with it. We are going to Miami to play another game.”

Meanwhile, the Heat are a happy bunch heading to Miami for Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.

“Just find a way to win,’’ said forward Jimmy Butler, who had 21 points and joined guard Gabe Vincent (23) and center Bam Adebayo (21) as Heat players with 20 or more. “I think we did that tonight as a group, and we’ll continue to do that as a group.”

If they are to win the NBA title, the Nuggets now must win at least one more road game. They are 4-3 away from home this postseason and have a three-game winning streak.

So stay tuned to see if the Nuggets can get the job done in Miami, which has an elevation of 6 feet.

SPORTS

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2023-06-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-06-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://daily.gazette.com/article/282140705770159

The Gazette, Colorado Springs