The Miami Heat stole Game 2 against the Denver Nuggets, evening out the NBA Finals series.

The Heat cracked open the gate to triumph on Sunday, tying the NBA Finals series 1-1 and increasing the suspense with their 111-108 victory against the Denver Nuggets. Jamal Murray's 3-point attempt that could have taken the game to overtime did not hit the target at the buzzer. Miami staged an impressive fourth quarter, successfully erasing a deficit of 8 points and surpassing Denver with a 36-25 point difference in the final 12 minutes. Gabe Vincent had 23 points, Bam Adebayo contributed 21 points and nine rebounds, while Jimmy Butler added 21 points and nine assists to Miami's total.

Heading into Wednesday night's (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) Game 3, the Heat have relocated to Miami. After a less-than-stellar start in Game 1, which came right on the heels of a seven-game Eastern Conference finals against Boston, they showed improved play in Game 2. They fulfilled their promise to be more assertive, hit more three-pointers, earn twenty foul shots, and suppress the scoring of the Nuggets aside from Nikola Jokic, who scored eighteen of his forty-one points in the third quarter.

season, had made their plan: Nikola Jokic was to take on the responsibility of scoring. They refused to let the other members of the Nuggets surpass them. Jamal Murray only tallied 18 points, despite recording 26 points and 10 assists in Game 1; Michael Porter Jr. earned five points and six rebounds compared to his 14 and 12 in the opening round; and Aaron Gordon recorded 12 points after having earned 16 points in Game 1.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra highlighted that one must play with tremendous effort but also tactically and under control. He stated, "You must compete at an extraordinary level, yet you must do it intelligently and with control."

The Heat took a major leap forward in the shooting from 3-point land, sinking 17 of their attempts with a percentage of 48.6. This result was in stark contrast to the 33.3% shooting from Game 1. The Denver Nuggets were defeated on their home court for the first time this post-season and the Heat have notched up victories in at least one away game for each series this season.

Nikola Jokic's impressive 41 points led all scorers in the game, yet it wasn't enough for the Denver Nuggets to achieve a 2-0 lead in the series against the Miami Heat. The Serbian center achieved 18 points in the third quarter, but was heavily defended by Miami in the fourth, which prevented him from adding more points. His overall score of 68 points over Games 1 and 2 ties with Kevin Durant for the third-highest total of points in an NBA Finals series ever.

The Denver Nuggets sought to increase their lead over the Miami Heat as Dr. Harold Rapp III's emotive saxophone performance of the National Anthem electrified the Ball Arena for Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Rapp III released his album, “Journey” in 2020 and his single, “Sax Wind” in 2021. He grew up in New Orleans and later lived in Germany, California and Denver as part of a military family. He began playing saxophone at the age of 10 and has collaborated with many artists, including Gospel performers Kirk Franklin and Israel Houghton, contestants from “The Voice” and “American Idol”, and Andrew Woolfolk of Earth, Wind & Fire.

Erik Spoelstra has decided to start Kevin Love for Game 2 of the playoffs, replacing Caleb Martin who is to come off the bench. Love had been previously starting in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Celtics and since then, he has participated in 16 playoff games and began 14 of them. In speaking of his decision to start Love in Game 2, Spoelstra stated, "I wanted him to play in Game 1, but it seemed as if the decision I made was not the best. He is a very experienced playoff champion and cannot be accurately described by words alone. Love is an ardent opponent who has made significant impacts throughout the playoffs.”

In order for the Miami Heat to return to the NBA Finals, coach Erik Spoelstra insists it all starts with toughness. The Heat were thoroughly outplayed in a 104-93 loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 1, their three-point shooting and defensive mismatches proving ineffective. Spoelstra acknowledges that schemes and plays won't save them; the only way to reclaim a chance at the title is through tough, determined, collective play. Even though there were some positives to draw on from Thursday's match, Spoelstra wants to see his team perform with greater intensity, intention, pace, and detail in Game 2 on Sunday. The Heat will need all the resilience and resilience they can muster to come out on top against formidable opponents like Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. For more on the Heat and their journey towards toughness, click here.