Denver Nuggets win first NBA championship in franchise history

For the first time in their 47-year existence, the Denver Nuggets can call themselves NBA champions.

The Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat, 94-89, in Game 5 of the NBA Finals from Ball Arena Monday to claim the series victory, four games to one. Denver is the first No. 1 seed to finish the deal in the postseason since the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019-20.

As they were throughout the season, the Nuggets were led by star center Nikola Jokic. The two-time MVP scored 28 points on 12-of-15 from the field with 16 rebounds and four assists, capping off a historic playoff run.

Following the victory, NBA commissioner Adam Silver presented Jokic with the Bill Russell Finals MVP trophy. Jokic, the 41st overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, becomes the lowest drafted player to win Finals MVP. The Serbian joins Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players born overseas to take home the Finals’ best player award, per ESPN.

“It feels good — it’s good,” Jokic told Lisa Salters of ESPN after the game. “We got the job done so now we can go home.”

Jokic’s contributions were needed given the uncharacteristically cold shooting performance from guard Jamal Murray and the ineffectiveness from power forward Aaron Gordon. The two combined for just 18 points on 7-of-21 shooting.

Nuggets fend off late surge from Heat to win NBA Finals

The Nuggets looked primed to run away from Miami after jumping out to a 16-8 lead in the first quarter. Things would soon prove to not be as easy, as Miami quickly closed the gap. The Heat rallied to end the first 12 minutes of play with a two-point advantage. They extended their lead to 10 midway through the second quarter.

As was the story in Games 3 and 4, Denver dominated play in the third quarter. Aided by a 26-20 advantage, Denver entered the fourth quarter trailing by one. The Heat, who embodied a never quit mentality coming into the postseason as an eight seed, showed just that in the fourth quarter — even after the offense and guard Jimmy Butler went quiet.

Just 2-of-13 from the field at one point, Butler scored 11 straight points to give the Heat an 87-86 lead. Miami scored just three more points, with Denver’s defense making some key plays in crunch time. None were more important than the steal from guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with 24.1 seconds remaining. Caldwell-Pope picking off a pass from Butler resulted in Kyle Lowry taking a foul, in which the former nailed both free throws to make it a three-point game in the Nuggets’ favor. Butler had one more shot at tying things up, but bricked a three-point attempt in Miami’s second-to-last possession.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone assured the crowd in Denver that this is just the beginning.

“I got news for everyone out there,” Malone said. “We are not satisfied with one!”