Jokic and Murray each net triple-double in historic night as Nuggets win G3

MIAMI — Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray became the first teammates in NBA Finals history to record triple-doubles, and the two Denver stars ensured the Nuggets regained the series lead by beating the Miami Heat 109-94 in Game 3 on Wednesday. night.

Jokic finished with 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists – the first such game in NBA Finals history, or at least the first since the assists were recorded. Murray had 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, getting the rebound he needed with 9 seconds remaining.

The Nuggets outshot the Heat 58-33 and took a 2-1 lead. Game 4 is Friday in Miami.

Jimmy Butler scored 28 points for Miami, and Bam Adebayo finished with 22 points and 17 rebounds. Caleb Martin added 10 points for Miami.

Miami has been the comeback king of these playoffs — seven rallies in games after trailing by at least 12 points. The Heat were down 14 going into fourth, and Nuggets coach Michael Malone reminded his club of Miami’s penchant for comebacks.

“The first two games, they won the fourth quarter,” Malone said. “Tonight we win the fourth quarter, we win the game.”

His team listened.

The lead eventually reached 21, the result was never seriously in doubt, and Jokic definitely looks like he’s back in cruise control. The Heat came within nine on a Duncan Robinson 3-pointer with 1:22 to go, but there was no epic finish for Miami.

Officially, Jokic is now the seventh player to score two triple doubles in the same final. Magic Johnson and LeBron James have each done it in three different Finals. Draymond Green, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird and Butler all had a series of titles with two triple-doubles.

It was his 10th triple-double of this postseason, extending his single-season record, and he was unfazed by anything Miami threw at him. Jokic finished 12 for 21 from the floor, 7 for 8 from the line, playing 44 minutes.

Christian Braun was terrific off the bench for the Nuggets, scoring 15 points on 7-for-8 shooting in 19 minutes. Aaron Gordon added 11 for Denver.

Miami never led in the second half. A dunk from Adebayo put the Heat up 44-42 with 3:18 left in the half, before a 3-pointer from Murray was the seventh and final lead change of the night. It was 53-48 at halftime, before Denver pushed the lead into double digits for the first time early in the third and eventually led to 19 later in that span.