The Miami Heat, who overcame a 15-point deficit in the second quarter, stunned the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night and beat them on the road 111-108 to tie the NBA Finals 1-1. A great team defense and the stellar appearance of Jimmy Butler in the final quarter were vital to the victory of the visitors.
While Denver began dominating the game and scored 15 points midway through the second quarter, Miami continued with its script, smoothed out the lead and reached the fourth quarter with only six points. The momentary departure of Nikola Jokic at the start of the decisive set allowed him to move to the front and he reached the closing lead on the scoreboard. Jamal Murray had a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime, but his shot fell short.
Despite the defeat, Jokic was once again the leading figure of the game, converting 41 points and dropping 11 rebounds, adding a new double-double. Gabe Vincent, with 23 points, was the scorer for the Heat, while Butler finished with 21 points and nine assists.
Those from Denver had won last Thursday also at home by 104 to 93, but now the series moves to Miami, with games scheduled for Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 p.m. in Argentina.