DENVER ― Miami’s Jimmy Butler had an escape room outing planned for Saturday.
It was a metaphor.
The Heat unlocked the door to victory, beating the Denver Nuggets 111-108 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, tying the best-of-seven series 1-1 and adding intrigue.
Denver’s Jamal Murray missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer that could’ve forced overtime.
Miami used an impressive fourth quarter, overcoming an 83-75 deficit and outscoring the Nuggets 36-25 in the final 12 minutes. Gabe Vincent led Miami with 23 points, Bam Adebayo added 21 points and nine rebounds and Butler finished with 21 points and nine assists.
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The series moves to Miami for the next two games with Game 3 on Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
The Heat were better in the second game after a sluggish performance in Game 1 coming off a seven-game Eastern Conference finals series against Boston.
They did what they said they would do. The Heat were more aggressive, made more 3-pointers, shot 20 free throws, 18 more than they did in Game 1, and limited the scoring of Denver players not named Nikola Jokic. He scored 18 of his game-high 41 points in the third quarter.
The Heat, who have won at least one road game in the opening two games of a playoff series this season, made a decision: Jokic will score. Don’t let the rest of the Nuggets beat you. Jamal Murray had just 18 points after 26 points and 10 assists in Game 1, Michael Porter Jr. had just five points and six rebounds after 14 and 12 in the opener and Aaron Gordon had 12 points after 16 in Game 1.
"They force you to have to compete at a super-high level, but you have to do it with a brain and you have to do it with discipline," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Get the Sports newsletter in your inbox. Sports news, no matter the season. Stop by for the scores, stay for the stories. Delivery: Daily Your Email The Heat made 17 shots from behind the arc on 48.6% shooting, a significant improvement over 33.3% shooting in Game 1.
It was Denver’s first home loss of the playoffs, and Miami has won at least one game on the road in the first two games of each series this season.
Here's how it all unfolded:
How many points did Nikola Jokic score?
Jokic led all scorers with 41 points in the game, but it wasn't enough for the Nuggets to take a 2-0 series lead over the Heat. He scored 18 in the third quarter but was held in check by Miami in the fourth. He also finished with just four assists. Jokic's 68 combined points in Games 1 and 2 are tied with Kevin Durant for the third-most points in the first two games of an NBA Finals series in history.
How many points did Jimmy Butler score?
Butler finished with 21 points and connected on some clutch buckets in Miami's fourth-quarter comeback win. He added nine assists and pulled down four rebounds. His 21 points were tied with Bam Adebayo for second-most for the Heat, two points shy of Gabe Vincent's team-high 23 points.
Nikola Jokic makes history during Game 2
Nikola Jokic made history Sunday when he became the first center in NBA history to accumulate both at least 500 points and 100 assists in a single postseason, according to the league.
The two-time MVP achieved the mark toward the end of the third quarter in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. He was leading the Nuggets with 31 points and added three assists at the time. He had 18 points in the third quarter alone.
Jokic made history earlier in the postseason when he broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record with his eighth triple-double of the playoffs. In Game 4 of the Western Conference finals — when the Nuggets swept the Los Angeles Lakers — he finished with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists and was named the series MVP.
In Game 1 of the NBA Finals when Denver beat the Heat 104-93, Jokic finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists. He didn’t make his first basket, which was also his first shot attempt, until the seconds of the first quarter.
End 3: Nuggets 83, Heat 75
After two quarters with massive runs by both teams — a scorching start by the Heat followed by a strong response from the Nuggets — Miami and Denver traded blows in a closely contested third quarter that saw the home team hold a slim 83-75 lead with one quarter to play in Game 2.
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, who spent much of the second quarter on the bench, scored 18 points in the third quarter to buoy Denver's chances at taking a 2-0 series lead. He scored the team's final nine points in the frame.
Jokic had everything in the first three quarters. Scoring from the post, around the rim and beyond the arc — not to mention supremely creative passing — which undoubtedly had Heat defenders wondering what the big man would attempt next.
Half: Nuggets 57, Heat 51
The Denver Nuggets took their first lead of Game 2 at 11:04 in the second quarter when Jeff Green was fouled on a fast break layup. Green made both free throws to make it a 27-26 game.
The Nuggets scored four straight three-point buckets to extend their lead to 39-29. The streak was broken by a trey from Gabe Vincent, but Denver had all the momentum as they went on a 21-6 run to start the quarter — all without Nikola Jokic, who was resting on the bench.
Jamal Murray had eight points in the quarter, including one of the three-point buckets and a back-to-back layup and jumper. He didn’t score in the opening period.
Max Strus only made a pair of free throws in the second quarter and still leads the Heat with 14 points, followed by 12 from Vincent and 11 from Jimmy Butler.
Jokic still leads the Nuggets with 13 points.
— Victoria Hernandez
Nuggets mount torrid run in second quarter, take double-digit lead
The Nuggets punctuated a 21-point turnaround by hitting their fourth consecutive 3-pointer in the second quarter. Denver began the quarter on a 23-6 run to take a 12-point lead with 7:49 left before the half. The score was 44-32 when Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had no choice but to call a timeout.
Much of the Denver run came with Nuggets star Nikola Jokic on the bench. It was Jamal Murray who took charge in his absence, beginning the quarter with eight points.
Miami was 6 of 11 from beyond the arc to start the game, but the Heat still couldn't keep pace with Denver's hot shooting.
Do the Heat have a run in them to close the gap before halftime?
— Richard Morin
End 1: Heat 26, Nuggets 23
Miami got exactly what it wanted to start Game 2. Coming out with a sense of urgency and aggressiveness, the Heat built a 21-10 lead in the first quarter. Miami’s Max Strus, who was 0-for-9 on 3-pointers in Game 1, made his first two from beyond the arc in Game 2 and helped the Heat to a 10-2 lead, forcing Denver to call a timeout less than three minutes into the game. He made another 3 later in the quarter, putting Miami up 19-10, and he had 12 points in the opening 12 minutes.
Miami's Jimmy Butler, who didn’t attempt a free throw in Game 1 after averaging 9.1 attempts in the three previous rounds, got to the foul line in the first quarter as he made good on his promise to be more aggressive.
The Nuggets missed seven of their first 10 shots, and Jamal Murray was scoreless in the first quarter. Denver settled in offensively late in the quarter, thanks to Nikola Jokic who had 11 points in the first.
National anthem gets saxophone treatment for Game 2
The national anthem at Game 2 of the NBA Finals was performed by saxophonist Dr. Harold Rapp III.
He gave an emotive performance that fired up Ball Arena as the Denver Nuggets sought to take a 2-0 lead over the Miami Heat.
Rapp III released his “Journey” album in 2020 and a single, “Sax Wind,” last year. According to an online biography, he was born in New Orleans and settled in Denver after spending time overseas as part of a military family in Germany and also in California. He started playing saxophone at age 10 and has performed with Gospel artists Kirk Franklin and Israel Houghton, contestants from “The Voice” and “American Idol” and Andrew Woolfolk of Earth, Wind & Fire.
Kevin Love starts, Caleb Martin off the bench
Miami will go out with a different lineup for Game 2 on Sunday, with Kevin Love getting the start in place of Caleb Martin.
Love didn't play in Game 1 and hasn't played since he started in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics. Headed into Game 2, Love has appeared in 16 playoff games and started 14 this playoffs.
"I had every intention to play him in Game 1, and things just kind of went a bunch of different ways. Nothing seemed to look right, including my decision making," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said ahead of Game 2. "But yes, he brings that veteran decorated playoff championship-level experience, and you can't really quantify what that means except for that he's been here, he can infuse a bunch of confidence in the guys, and he just has a timeliness of his winning plays. He's a tough competitor, and he's had some really important moments in this playoff run."
Martin, who was listed with an undisclosed illness, will be available but will start the game on the bench. The hero from Miami's Eastern Conference finals, Martin struggled in Thursday's Game 1 loss, scoring only three points on 1-for-7 shooting with four rebounds and no assists.
How do Heat get back into NBA Finals? For Erik Spoelstra it starts with their 'toughness'
Forget about the Miami Heat’s ugly 3-point shooting. And the problematic defensive mismatches.
Or even the zone defense that energized them in the second half of a 104-93 loss to the Denver Nuggets Thursday in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
"Scheme is not going to save us," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said during his postgame news conference. "It's going to be the toughness and resolve, collective resolve.
"That's us at our finest, when we rally around each other and commit to doing incredibly tough things."
This was not the Heat at their finest.
This is not what Spoelstra has in mind for Game 2 Sunday in Denver.
"Things have to be done with a lot more intention and a lot more pace, a lot more detail," he said.
There were signs the Heat are simply overmatched. (See: Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.) There also were signs the Heat might be able to put up a fight.
Read Josh Peter’s full feature on the Heat and their toughness here.
Tyler Herro ruled out for Game 2
Tyler Herro won't be making his return in Denver.
The Miami guard, who has been out since he had surgery after breaking his right shooting hand in Game 1 of the Heat's first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, has been ramping up his workouts in hopes of returning at some point during the Finals, but the Heat ruled him out for Sunday.
"He is progressing. We’re really encouraged by the progress," Spoelstra said ahead of Game 2. "He started doing contact work as soon as we got to Denver. We have to maintain perspective. We wanna be responsible about this. We’re all excited and encouraged by his progress. We’ll get back to Miami and all we’re doing is just sticking to the process, trying to stack positive days, also understanding this is not like trying to return to a game in December. This is the Finals, so there is a little bit of context to this."
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone commented on his team's preparation with or without the rising star.
"We know what kind of talent he is, his ability to play off the bounce, create for himself, create for his teammates and obviously shoot the three ball," he said. "If and when he becomes available, our guys will be ready from a personnel standpoint and a game plan standpoint, but we understand this is Game 2, he is out and we're gonna see a much different Miami Heat team than we did on Thursday night.
— Jordan Mendoza, Victoria Hernandez
Erik Spoelstra still figuring out Game 2 starters
The starting lineup for Miami is still up in the air with less than two hours until tip, Spoelstra said ahead of the game.
The team said on Twitter that Caleb Martin is available to play, but has an undisclosed illness. Veteran Kevin Love could get the start in his place.
Spoelstra said that Gabe Vincent is also still being evaluated. He missed Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals with an ankle injury and was the second leading scorer with 19 points in Game 1 of the Finals.
"I’m still waiting to officially get word that Caleb and Gabe are going, although it would take a lot to have them sit out," he said. "Then I’ll just figure out my official lineup in the next hour or so."
— Jordan Mendoza, Victoria Hernandez
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