It’s over! We’ve got it! For the first time in their history, the Denver Nuggets are the champions.
NBA Finals
Easier than expected
Despite Denver’s lacklustre performance in front of their home fans in the last game of the Finals series, Mike Malone’s men pulled out the most important win of the series. Everything was in place for the big celebration. Both in the arena and on the streets, where many fans were gathered. On the other side, the boys under Eric Spoelstra played with a threat throughout the whole game, but even that was not enough. The last match ended with a score of 94:89 and a final score of 4:1.
No one to stop Jokić
The MVP of the final was Nikola Jokić, who has been in a class of his own throughout the playoffs this season. The Serbian scored 151 points in the final and even had a triple-double twice. In Game 5, he scored 10 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter. He added 16 rebounds, and also contributed on defence. He became the first player to be on top of the three most important statistical categories in the playoffs. He scored the most points (600), rebounds (269) and assists (190). A true MVP.
“The whole team has worked very hard. There are so many factors. I’m just happy. The job is done, now we can go home,” said the 28-year-old Serbian at the end.
Malone announces something big
After winning the title, Denver’s head coach Mike Malone was pleased and made a bold announcement:
“I would like to tell all our competitors that we will not be satisfied with just one title. We want more,”
He and the professional staff played a huge role in winning the championship ring. Not only in the leadership, but in the things that went on behind the scenes. What is particularly interesting is the footage from the dressing room that was circulating on social media during the final series.
Butler was stopped in the final
Jimmy Butler, who is considered the star player of the Florida team, gave less than expected in the series finals. In the last game, he contributed only eight points in the opening three quarters, but at key moments he poured in 13 points to keep the Heat in the game. In the last two minutes, he overshot from unguarded positions and fumbled the ball with half a minute to go. Still, he was Miami’s top scorer with 21 points. He did not break the 30-point mark once in the final series.
“I really wanted the title. We had a great playoff and surprised a lot of players We played four very good seasons in Miami. I feel very comfortable in Florida. I’m glad we made it all the way to the finals, even if it didn’t turn out the way we wanted in the end. The thing that annoys me the most is that I lost the ball in the playoffs. Now is not the time to make excuses, my ankle didn’t bother me at all. Denver just beat us,”
said the 33-year-old star player, visibly devastated.
Spoelstra: It’s hard to accept defeat in the final, but the opponent was better
Miami coach Spoelstra suffers his fourth loss in his sixth Finals.
“We have a committed team that didn’t give up until the end. We had a lot of problems in the playoffs, but we made it to the final. Denver has a really great team and we couldn’t stop them. The last three or four minutes were like a scene from a movie. Both teams were like boxers in the ring, fighting, but with no energy. We just didn’t score. I have no regrets, Denver was better in that final series. They were by far the best team in the whole playoffs. We played great defense, but we were still too short.”
explained the 52-year-old Miami Heat coach at the press conference.
Čančar becomes the fourth Slovenian to win the NBA championship ring
Vlatko Čančar was not able to get on the floor four times in this final series and played half a minute in the third game. The 26-year-old from Primorje became the fourth Slovenian to win the title after Ben Udrih, Ras Nesterović and Sasha Vujačić. But this season will not be remembered only for the playoff series. It’s worth mentioning that during the regular season he made the most of the opportunities he was given, surpassing the 10 or even 20 point mark on several occasions! If not for injuries, he might have had a few more minutes in the Finals. We at Grosbasket are proud of him too. And for all fans in Slovenia, we would like to inform you that it is still possible to get his national jersey in our online shop. You can find it here.
With the finals, this year’s NBA season is over. The much-anticipated draft is now upon us, where teams will battle it out for the most talented players of a generation entering basketball’s biggest stage. Victor Wenbanyama is the name that will most likely overshadow the others, and we are all interested to see how Luka Dončić’s team, the Dallas Mavericks, will fare. Till next time, thanks to all of you who have been following our Grosbasket basketball news during the regular season and the playoffs.
