In game five of the NBA Finals, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat 94-89 to claim the championship.
The Nuggets were able to fight off a late Miami surge in a back-and-forth game to win the Larry O’Brien trophy in front of their home crowd.
With 28 points, Nikola Jokic once again led the way for Denver. Jimmy Butler finished with 21 points after the Heat came agonizingly close to forcing a game-six back in Miami thanks to a late surge.
The Heat led by seven points at the half after the Nuggets missed their first 22 attempts from beyond the arc due to their early troubles from long range.
Denver was able to eventually make a few three-pointers, though, and they tightened up their defense in the second half, holding Miami to just 38 points over the final two quarters.
With fewer than two minutes left, Butler scored eight straight baskets to put the Heat back in the lead by one. However, when Denver’s Bruce Brown tipped in an offensive rebound, the visitors were eventually unable to come back.
Jokic was honored for his historic campaign by being awarded Finals MVP. Jokic finished the season as the first player in history to lead the playoffs in points, rebounds, and assists.
