Denver Sweeps Old Foe Miami, Regains Lead in the West
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 14 Mar 2024
Denver defeated Miami 100-88, extending their winning streak against their last year's Finals foe to five games and, more importantly, securing the solo lead in the Western Conference.
The Nuggets have now beaten the Heat three times in a row, twice at home, including their victory in last season's NBA Finals. They also secured the win in their first matchup of the current 2023-24 season, defeating Miami 103-97 at home.
The Heat aimed to even the season series by winning on their home court, but they fell short in a game where the superstars from both teams seemed hesitant to unleash their full potential.
A fierce battle between the duos of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray against Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler was anticipated. However, the expected showdown didn't materialize as Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon led the charge for the Nuggets.
Porter tallied 25 points and 7 rebounds, while Gordon contributed 16 points and 8 rebounds. This compensated for the relatively "low-scoring" performances of Jokic (12 points) and Murray (14 points). Notably, Jokic still led the Nuggets in rebounding (12) and rim protection. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson added 9 points each.
Adebayo and Butler remained the leaders of the Heat's offense and defense, but their contributions were somewhat subdued at 17 points and 13 rebounds for Adebayo, and 15 points and 5 rebounds for Butler. Only Terry Rozier (14 points) and Duncan Robinson (11 points) managed to score in double digits for Miami after the duo. Caleb Martin and Thomas Bryant each chipped in 9 points.
This win propelled Denver to the sole first-place position in the West with a 46-20 record. They are now ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder (45-20) who lost to the Indiana Pacers yesterday.
In other Western Conference matchups relevant to the playoff race, the #7 Sacramento Kings defeated the #9 LA Lakers 120-107. Additionally, the #8 Dallas Mavericks pulled off a victory against the Steph Curry-less #10 Golden State Warriors, winning 110-99.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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