Denver Nuggets’ grades from a 111-108 Game 2 loss in the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat at Ball Arena.

Offense

The Nuggets went on a 21-6 run with Nikola Jokic on the bench in the first half and led by as many as 15. Jokic also scored a gamehigh 41 points. But his glaring lack of assists (four) highlighted the struggles for Denver to create offensively. Michael Porter Jr. accounted for just five points. Jamal Murray dropped 18 but missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime. There were also 13 Nuggets turnovers on the night. Not their best performance after a Game 1 clinic.

Grade: B

Defense

The Heat came out strong offensively in the first quarter with a 26-23 lead. But it wasn’t star Jimmy Butler carrying Miami in Game 2. Instead, point guard Gabe Vincent’s 18 points midway through the third quarter led all players. Duncan Robinson lit up the Nuggets in the fourth and Miami took the lead, 86-85, with 10 minutes left in regulation. It grew to double digits. Miami scored 36 points in the fourth quarter with Denver unable to get stops in crunch time.

Grade: C

Coaching

The Nuggets showed zero panic in the first quarter when Miami took early control of the game. That’s a reflection of Michael Malone’s leadership on the bench. But that resolve faded in the fourth quarter when Miami made its late run to pull away for good. Malone also chose to not take an available timeout on the game’s last possession; maybe setting up a higher-percentage final shot than Murray’s contested 3-pointer. This loss wasn’t Malone’s fault. But he can be better, just like the players. Grade: B

Overall

It never feels good to walk out of your own building with a defeat. It’s even worse in the Finals. The Nuggets had not dropped a home game at Ball Arena in these playoffs until Sunday night and the worst part was a perceived lack of effort at key moments in the game. You can’t take off possessions and expect to win a championship. Some folks in the local Denver media wrote off Miami’s chances after Game 1. That was a bad idea.

Grade: C