The Miami Heat rallied from a 15-point deficit, down eight going into the fourth quarter to defeat the Denver Nuggets 111-108, tying the 2023 NBA Finals series at 1-1.
The Heat were led by Gabe Vincent, who scored 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three-point range. Jimmy Butler added 21 points, four rebounds, and nine assists. Bam Adebayo had 21 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.
Max Strus came out firing in Game 2, scoring 14 points and dishing out six assists. He made four three-pointers in the first quarter, a stark contrast to his performance in Game 1, when he went 0 for 10 from the field including 0 for 9 from beyond the arc.
Nikola Jokic had a monster game for the Nuggets, scoring 41 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Jamal Murray, who missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer that could've forced overtime, added 18 points and 10 assists. Aaron Gordon contributed 12 points and seven rebounds. Michael Porter Jr. had five points and six rebounds.
The Heat had a strong start to the game, taking a 21-10 lead after Butler made a jumper with 4:56 left in the first quarter. However, the Nuggets rallie, going on a 40-14 run to lead by 15 points, and outscoring the Heat 34-25 in the second quarter to take a 57-51 lead at halftime. The Heat rallied in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Nuggets 36-25 to secure the victory.
Miami and Denver were neck-and-neck in a close third quarter. The Heat tied the game at 66-66, but the Nuggets closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 83-75 lead. The Heat came out strong in the fourth quarter that erased Denver’s eight-point lead. Duncan Robinson, who had all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter, including 8-2 run, sparked the Heat's comeback. He hit a pair of 3-pointers and a layup during the Heat's 8-2 run, which cut Denver's lead to 85-83.
Vincent's three-pointer with 10:10 remaining in the game gave the Miami Heat their first lead since the first quarter. The Heat never trailed again, and they went on to win the game.
The Heat will look to take a 2-1 lead in the series on Thursday (Philippine) when they host the Nuggets in Game 3 in Miami.
