DENVER — Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets were facing some questions going into their first NBA Finals, and their answers came in resounding fashion.
No, a week and a half off didn’t hurt them.
And no, the NBA’s biggest stage isn’t too big, either.
Jokic got a triple-double in his finals debut, Jamal Murray scored 26 points and the Nuggets had little trouble with the cold-shooting Heat on the way to a 104-93 win in Game 1 on Thursday night.
“I think that’s what the beauty of this team is,” Murray said. “We have so many different weapons and so many different looks. You’ve got to guard everybody. … Free-flowing, and it’s a lot of fun.”
The Heat had been 3-0 in openers so far in these playoffs, all on the road, but Denver is still unbeaten at home.
Game 1 winners in the finals go on to win the title nearly 70 percent of the time.
Advantage, Nuggets.
“That was one of my last messages to the group before our game,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “I reminded our group, if they didn’t know, that Miami went into Milwaukee and won Game 1. They went into the Garden and won Game 1. They won Game 1 up in Boston. So, we did not want them coming in here taking control of the series on our court.”
Jokic was the one in control.
The two-time NBA MVP finished with 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets, who waited 47 years to make the finals and didn’t disappoint.
“The most important thing is to win a game,” Jokic said after his ninth triple-double of this year’s playoffs — his sixth in his last seven games. “I’m trying to win a game in any possible way.”
Aaron Gordon added 16 points and Michael Porter Jr. scored 14 for Denver, which trailed for all of 34 seconds and eventually led by as many as 24.
Bam Adebayo finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, which shot 41 percent for the game — 33 percent from 3-point range.
Gabe Vincent scored 19, Haywood Highsmith had 18 and Jimmy Butler added 13 for the Heat.
Miami was 2-for-2 from the foul line — an NBA Finals record for fewest free throws made, and fewest free throws attempted. The Lakers had the previous marks there, going 3-for-5 from the line against Philadelphia on May 26, 1983.
“We’ve got to attack the rim a lot more, myself included,” Butler said.
Game 2 is in Denver on Sunday night.
Miami opened the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run, cutting an 84-63 deficit to start the final period down to 84-74.
The Heat actually got within nine on a 3-pointer by Highsmith with 2:34 left, but no closer and there wasn’t any doubt, either.
