Selfless Nikola Jokic says ‘I don’t need to score’ to impact the game for Denver Nuggets

NBA MVP candidate Nikola Jokic put on a superb display in Game 1 of the NBA Finals after recording a triple-double that included double-double in the first half.

Jokic recorded 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists and ended the first half with 10 points and 10 assists.

Six of his first half assists game during the first quarter of play as Denver jumped out to an early lead.

‘Right now the most important thing is to win a game, and try to win a game in any possible way,’ Jokic said immediately in the aftermath of the game while being interviewed.

‘I don’t need to shoot and I don’t need to score to ‘strike’ (affect) the game and I think I did a good job today.’

The Nuggets big man was also praised his Miami despite the fact he had just beat them by double-digits and controlled the game from start to finish.

‘They fight they never quit and we just wanted to get the first punch. The first three rounds they won the first game and that they traveled and played on the road and we didn’t wanna have that happen. I think we did a good job to hold that team to 93 points is a really good job,’ said Jokic.

Denver’s head coach Mike Malone made similar statements in regard to not allowing the Heat to win Game 1 on the Nuggets home floor.

Aaron Gordon added 16 points and Michael Porter Jr. scored 14 for Denver, which trailed for all of 34 seconds and eventually led by as many as 24.

Bam Adebayo finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, which shot 41% for the game – 33% from 3-point range. Gabe Vincent scored 19, Haywood Highsmith had 18 and Jimmy Butler added 13 for the Heat.

Game 2 is in Denver on Sunday night.

Miami opened the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run, cutting an 84-63 deficit to start the final period down to 84-74. The Heat actually got within nine on a 3-pointer by Highsmith with 2:34 left, but no closer and there wasn’t any doubt, either.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone gave his team a pop quiz in shootaround Thursday morning, peppering them with questions about the game plan and what had to be done in the most important game to date in franchise history.

They had all the answers then. Had them all at game time, too. They were the team with minimal NBA Finals experience, only two players having been to the title round before, and yet they looked right at home before the home crowd in Game 1.