how was Game 1 and what to expect for Game 2 of the NBA Finals

miami heat It is denver nuggets face each other for Game 2 of the NBA Finals this Sunday, 4, at 9 pm (Brasília time), at Ball Arena, in Denver. After losing the first game, the Florida team has its most decisive game of the season, now, in the opponent’s house, which is 1,600m above sea level. And a victory, after the dominance of the Nuggets of Nikola Jokicin Game 1, it would be essential not to arrive with such a disadvantage for the third game, which will take place in Miami.

After another gala performance by Nikola Jokic, recording a triple-double (27 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists), the coach’s main challenge Erik Spoelstra will be how to stop the Serbian athlete, a fact that no one has yet managed to achieve in these playoffs. And, while they don’t neutralize Denver’s main weapon, the Nuggets keep dreaming of the franchise’s first title, led by michael malonewhich has presented, in each game, a consistent team that is hard to beat.

In the match, in addition to Jokic, the “right-hand man” of the Serbian athlete, Jamal Murray, was just 4 rebounds short of also scoring a triple-double, securing Denver 26 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists. Another who played at a high level to annihilate any possibility that Miami would guarantee the first game of the series, let alone away from home. Aaron Gordonwhich was even more present in the series against lakers, being dominant in Game 4, proved effective against the Heat, too. The athlete had 16 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist, while Michael Porter Jr. returned to appear defensively, guaranteeing Denver 13 rebounds, 1 assist and 14 points.

On the Miami Heat side, it was Bam Adebayo who stood out with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists, while Jimmy Butlerstar of the team, had a performance well below what he showed until then, in the playoffs, with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.

For the Miami Heat, the entire season has been filled with self-doubt and adversity. The irregular path that the Florida team followed, until the Playoffs, started with defeats and had ups and downs until the classification in 8th place in the conference.

“This is how our path has been”, stated caleb martinat a press conference after the first game of the NBA Finals. “That’s everyone’s comfort zone. We are never worried in situations like this. People might be saying it’s going to be difficult or something. That might be the case, but we don’t think so.”completed.

“I feel like we are going to recover”, said center Bam Adebayo after the first game. And even if the Heat gets its defensive system back on track, which it lacked in the first game, Denver will also make adjustments.

For Game 2 of the NBA Finals, the expectation is that the Miami Heat’s defense will return to action as it was in Game 7 against the Boston Celtics: aggressively. Cover the different perimeters well and, above all, be able to attack the ball more often, using a quick transition to score, capitalizing on the opponent’s mistake.

Still, the expectation of the team led by Jimmy Butler is that the Heat will get at least one victory in the opponent’s home to have more breath in game 3 and, of course, be able to count on the “secret weapon” Tyler Herro, who has been training at the same pace as his teammates, and can also return to rotation at any time. And now, after its first and well-deserved rest, after playing in the playoffs playing every other day, Miami returns to perform at the altitude of Denver in a way that is already used to it and, above all, hungry to win, even in the most difficult situations. adverse – as they have done all season.