NBA finals Game 2: Miami Heat v Denver Nuggets – live

Key events

Show key events only

Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature

Heat 86-85 Nuggets, 10:10, 4th quarter

Nuggets with a shot clock violation, which you very rarely see. On the other end, Vincent hits a three. Miami’s three-point shots are falling and that’s usually a sign that Heat’s offense is working like it should. Heat in front.

Meanwhile, here is what Jokić did in the third quarter. If the Nuggets hold on, this will be the reason why.

Heat 83-85 Nuggets, 10:48, 4th quarter

What got into Duncan Robinson? He makes a layup and a three-pointer and it’s now a two-point game?

Nuggets call a timeout. Wisely.

Heat 78-85 Nuggets, 11:20, 4th quarter

The venerable Jeff Green gets to the line and makes both of his free throws. He says he will never retire, Jeff Green. He dances in light and in shadow and he is a great favorite. He never sleeps.

Heat 78-83 Nuggets, 11:40, 4th quarter

Duncan Robinson starts the scoring in the 4th quarter with a three-pointer.

Heat 75-83 Nuggets, end of the 3rd quarter

Jokić gets fouled and goes to the line, where he makes one of two free throws.

There’s no additional scoring, but The Joker has definitely made his presence known in the third.

Heat 75-82 Nuggets, 1:00, 3rd quarter

Brown forces a turnover and Jokić scores yet again. Yeah, he’s got a lot left in the tank.

Heat 75-80 Nuggets, 1:21, 3rd quarter

Lowry gets called for an offensive foul for a turnover and on the other end, there’s Jokić again. He scores and draws a foul.

Of course, he makes the free throw. If Miami’s goal was to tire him out it’s not paying dividends yet.

Heat 75-77 Nuggets, 1:50, 3rd quarter

Jokić scores a two-pointer. Lowry hits a three-pointer. It’s a three-point game again.

Heat 72-75 Nuggets, 2:51, 3rd quarter

Butler finds Zeller for a jumper!

Heat 70-75 Nuggets, 3:05, 3rd quarter

It suddenly feels like a rock fight. The Heat are disrupting and making the Nuggets actually work here, which might be the key to coming out here with a win.

Eventually Brown draws a foul to get on the line, maybe the best approach here against this Miami defense. He makes both free throws.

Heat 70-73 Nuggets, 4:04, 3rd quarter

Brown steals the ball and on the ensuing possession, Jokić scores.

But Adebayo answers.

Heat 68-71 Nuggets, 4:56, 3rd quarter

Caldwell-Pope gets charged with a foul that will put Butler on the line. If the Heat want to win, he’ll have to do this a few more times at least.

Butler makes both free throws.

Heat 66-71 Nuggets, 5:21, 3rd quarter

It’s very rare to see Jokić, I’m a fan. This is a version of him that I could come to appreciate. This is an “I Think You Should Leave” screenshot:

Heat 66-71 Nuggets, 5:21, 3rd quarter

Jokić loses the ball out of bounds. Or does he? It looks like another iffy call by these refs. The crowd is booing and Miami takes another timeout.

Heat 66-71 Nuggets, 5:40, 3rd quarter

Porter Jr hits a shot with the clock expiring to extend the Denver lead.

Heat 66-69 Nuggets, 6:16, 3rd quarter

Gordon picks up another foul, Miami thinks it’s flagrant but it feels like it’s more annoyance at that phantom call on Jokić.

And now neither side can score.

Heat 66-69 Nuggets, 7:49, 3rd quarter

Adebayo picks up his third foul on an extremely, extremely iffy call that gives Jokić three free throws (which he drains).

Cannot understand why Spoelstra did not challenge that.

Heat 66-66 Nuggets, 8:07, 3rd quarter

And Adebayo drives to the basket and ties it up.

Heat 64-66 Nuggets, 8:28, 3rd quarter

Vincent is now called for a foul on Gordon, who goes to the line. He misses both, however.

Heat 64-66 Nuggets, 8:45, 3rd quarter

Big swing here. Butler misses a layup on the ensuing Heat possession. On the other end, Murray unties the game with a jump shot.

Heat 64-64 Nuggets, 9:09, 3rd quarter

A foul on Jokić making a play on Adebayo, which looks like it should be a clear path foul on an uncatchable ball. The officials talk it out and decide it was, meaning that it’s two free throws and the Heat will maintain possession.

Abebayo makes both free throws to tie things up.

Okay, the Nuggets desperately need to shore up their defense, that’s the key to everything they do. I’m guessing Malone is saying words to this effect but in more specific terms than me but that’s the probable gist.

Heat 62-64 Nuggets, 9:21, 3rd quarter

That was a lot of scoring! Strus finds Adebayo for the Heat. Jokić responds in kind.

Love its a three-pointer. Jokić responds in kind.

It’s a stalemate until Vincent hits another three for Miami and that forces Denver to take an early timeout. Two point game!

Heat 54-59 Nuggets, 11:14, 3rd quarter

Vincent starts the second half with a three-pointer for the Heat. Caldwell-Pope lobs a pass to Gordon for a dunk.

More of that important Tyler Herro fashion statement content you were looking for:

Although he cooled off, Strus still has the most points of any player in the first half with 14, just a reminder about why a solid three-point shot can take you far in the NBA. Just a few years back, Strus was an unheralded role player who the Boston Celtics decided to cut because they didn’t have room for him as a two-way player.

I’m sure the Eastern Conference Finals were particularly satisfying for him.

Email from David Howell with the subject line “The Nuggets look inevitable at home here”:

...but it strikes me that they should look inevitable at home, with the altitude familiarity. Could it be argued that, with the theoretically biggest home-court advantage in the NBA, the Nuggets have historically underachieved to never even win their conference before this year?

I am not going that far and I am hesitant to give too much credit to their home-court advantage being that overwhelming due to the altitude (although I accept that it exists).

Will this become a different series when the Heat are at home? I expect that to be the case, but it’s also possible that the Nuggets just keep on doing that. We’ll at least get two games in Miami to test that out.

Stay tuned.

Halftime thoughts

This at least feels like a very different game from Game 1, even if Denver has a lead and is definitely looking like the better team. The Heat have discovered something and, most importantly, they’re not being rattled. They know the Nuggets are going to go on runs, they have to weather them and fight back.

Both teams have had double-digit leads in this game and the outcome is very much in the air. This, in other words, shaping up to be an actually competitive game. After Game 1, we deserve one.

Heat 51-57 Nuggets, end of the first half

Butler hits a shot. Jokić finds Gordon for an alley-oop, just an extremely impossible assist for Nikola.

In the final seconds, Adebayo cuts the lead down to six. It could have been better for Miami, it could have been worse.

Heat 47-55 Nuggets, 55.1, 2nd quarter

Ooh, Love almost made this super-interesting with a three that was off the mark.

Instead, Vincent fouls Caldwell-Pope at the three-point line. Potentially huge swing for Denver here at the end of the first half.

He makes all three.

Heat 47-52 Nuggets, 1:44, 2nd quarter

Butler makes a layup and the Heat are chipping away. Could we be getting… a competitive game?

Vincent with a jumper! It’s a five-point game! This is super-fun!

Heat 43-52 Nuggets, 3:04, 2nd quarter

Adebayo blocks Jokić but it’s to no avail as he snags the rebound and scores anyways.

Heat 43-50 Nuggets, 3:47, 2nd quarter

Vincent makes the free throw. If that was an attempt to play “freeze the kicker” on Malone’s part, it did not work.

Caldwell-Pope fouls Strus on a no-chance three-point attempt. Strus only makes 2-of-3 so that could have been worse for Denver.

Heat 40-50 Nuggets, 4:08, 2nd quarter

Kevin Love makes a stepback jump shot. Vincent gets fouled on a made basket, but Denver calls for a timeout before he attempts the free throw.

Heat 35-50 Nuggets, 5:02, 2nd quarter

The Heat get called for their fifth turnover. On the other end, Brown scores. So it goes with the Heat, everything that was going right for them in the first 10 minutes of the game is no longer happening.

Heat 35-48 Nuggets, 5:47, 2nd quarter

Christian Braun, who I only can refer to by his full Christian name, catches a Murray pass and dunks it with a flourish.

Heat 35-46 Nuggets, 7:05, 2nd quarter

I gave the Nuggets two extra points in these last two updates, but it’s okay because Jeff Green makes up for it by making two free throws after Butler hits a three to cut it close.

Heat 32-44 Nuggets, 7:49, 2nd quarter

Meanwhile, I can confirm that at least one Celtics fan is looking at Miami and going “this is the team that beat us three straight games to start the ECF?” His name is me.

Heat 32-44 Nuggets, 7:49, 2nd quarter

Gabe Vincent calms things down with a three. Unfortunately, a deflected Lowry pass leads to a dunk by Jamal Murray, who is also fouled on the play.

Obviously, he makes the free throw to complete the three-point play. Then he hits yet another shot to force another Miami timeout. It’s a 12-point Denver lead.

Heat 29-39 Nuggets, 9:01, 2nd quarter

Christian Braun with a corner three! Denver’s lead is into double digits just like that!

Heat 29-36 Nuggets, 9:57, 2nd quarter

There’s a chance we might have a Jeff Green Podium Game which is a long-time NBA postseason tradition.

Back from the timeout, Brown intercepts a bad Adebayo pass and Murray makes his first three-pointer of the game. The boat is starting to get leaky.

Heat 29-33 Nuggets, 10:12, 2nd quarter

Kyle Lowry hits a three for the Heat. So much for the Denver lead.

Nevermind, Brown hits a three-pointer and then Green hits a three-pointer. Ball Arena gets loud and Spoelstra is forced to call yet another timeout.