The Miami Heat put up an impressive defensive performance against the Denver Nuggets Wednesday. The only problem was that Denver’s defense was even superior en route to a 100-88 road victory over the Miami Heat.
After the game, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra praised the team’s defense, especially one man. He loved how Bam Adebayo bothered Nikola Kokic throughout the game, limiting him to 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
Spoelstra praised not only Adebayo’s defense but also his spirit. He argued that the Heat center should be considered the Defensive Player of the Year because of his defensive efforts.
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“No one will face Jokic minute by minute, except Bam. Bam signs up for this and will put himself forward and be vulnerable to competition. It’s the competitor of all competitors,” Spoelstra said. “That’s why Bam is Bam.”
Spoelstra knows how difficult it is to defend Jokic. The defensive mission comes with a long list of responsibilities.
Jokic must be defended firmly from the top of the key all the way to the post, preventing him from scoring and cutting off his passing opportunities. It’s important to execute perfect pick-and-roll defense against him and be aware of the dangerous two-man play between Jokic and Jamal Murray.
Denver Nuggets outlast Miami Heat in Finals rematch
Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat managed to hold Jokic to 12 points on just eight shots. However, he had 14 rebounds and six assists in the 100-88 victory.
Denver took advantage of a stifling fourth quarter to ice the game, beating Miami 28-17 in the final period. Denver shot 48.8 percent from the field and hit just 11 of 33 from 3-point range. The problem was that the Heat hit just 5 of 21 shots from downtown and hit 42.5 percent of their shots.
Miami trailed by one entering the fourth but the Nuggets put them away with a quick run to open the period. Spoelstra knows runs like that are why Denver is the defending champion.
“You feel like you have them under control, and then all of a sudden they separate. They do it better than anyone in the league,” Spoelstra said.
Michael Porter Jr.. killed the Heat all night. He led the way for Denver with 25 points. He drained 5 of 9 from deep to boost Denver’s offense. Aaron Gordon added 16 points.
Denver moved into first place in the West with this victory. They are 10-1 since the All-Star break.
Adebayo led the Heat in the loss with 17 points and 13 rebounds. He shot 7 of 15 from the field.
