Denver Nuggets defeat Miami Heat behind Aaron Gordon’s explosive display

The Denver Nuggets are just one game away from claiming their first NBA championship crown after their stars dominated once again.

Aaron Gordon stepped up in the win.

The Denver Nuggets are one game away from their first NBA championship after taking Game 4 of the NBA Finals, defeating the Heat 108-95 in Miami on Saturday (AEST).

So much of Denver’s success has been a product of the Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray two-man game, with the pair making history in the Nuggets’ 109-94 win in Game 4.

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On Saturday though, while Jokic and Murray certainly had their share of shining moments, it wasn’t just Denver’s superstar duo who helped put the Nuggets on the brink of glory.

Rather, Aaron Gordon — the team’s unsung hero all season long — stood tall after a dominant Game 1 showing to lift on both ends of the floor.

Aaron Gordon stepped up. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images/AFP

Gordon (27 points, six rebounds, six assists) was at his aggressive best on Saturday, with strong finishes over defenders and even a masterful pass to set up a Murray layup.

“Aaron did it all for us tonight,” coach Michael Malone said post-game.

“We’ve seen that now in four games in the NBA Finals where Aaron has had moments where he has carried us offensively. I couldn’t be more proud of Aaron and his impact across the board tonight.

“... He brought his hard hat. He was a warrior.”

Murray was coming off a 34-point triple-double against the Heat in Game 3 but wasn’t able to get into his usual shooting rhythm, forced into tough shots as he went 5-for-17 from the field.

Murray was at his playmaking best though, becoming the first player in history to record 10-plus assists in his first four NBA Finals games as he finished with 12 in Game 4.

Jokic entered the record books once again, becoming the first player in NBA history to register 500 points, 250 rebounds and 150 assists in a single postseason.

Murray’s shooting struggles though made Gordon’s contributions on the offensive end particularly important in further proof of just how much of a success that aggressive trade with Orlando back in 2021 has been.

Malone was especially complimentary of Gordon after Denver’s Game 1 win, describing him as “truly selfless” in taking on whatever role is best for the team.

Aaron Gordon turned and stared down the Heat bench before that corner 3 even went through the net. He's a perfect 3-3 from distance tonight. A game-high 25 points. Just a big-time performance.

— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) June 10, 2023

“We always talk about Nikola embodying Nuggets culture, and I think Aaron Gordon is a prime example of somebody who’s truly selfless,” Malone said.

“He understood with Jamal and Michael coming back this year being healthy that his role was going to change. He never once fought it.

“He’s embraced it from day one of the season and gone out there, whether it’s guarding Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and now obviously guarding a guy like Jimmy Butler.

“He does a lot of the dirty work for us, and a lot of times he doesn’t get the credit that he deserves.”

Gordon was at his aggressive best. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Gordon though will certainly get plenty of credit for his role in Denver’s title run should it close out the series with a win in Game 5 as the Nuggets travel back home.

Bruce Brown also came up clutch for Denver in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 points and finishing the game with 21 to silence the Miami crowd.

“He has absolutely delivered when they needed him most,” Jeff Van Gundy said in commentary.

“He’s just given them great production.”

Miami though can take some confidence from its Game 2 victory against Denver, where it inflicted a first home defeat of the playoffs on the Nuggets to level the NBA Finals.

The Heat will need better production from starters Gabe Vincent and Max Strus for that to happen, with the pair combining for just two points in Saturday’s loss.

Jimmy Butler, meanwhile, has not had a vintage Finals performance yet even though he was solid on Saturday with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

Bam Adebayo was also a force on both ends (20 points, 11 rebounds) while Kevin Love (12 points), Duncan Robinson (12 points) and Kyle Lowry (13 points) had some crucial shots.

In the end though it wasn’t enough as the Nuggets held on to win their third game of the series.

It was a particularly impressive win for Denver considering Jokic appeared to twist his ankle on an offensive rebound in the first quarter in an early injury scare.

While the Nuggets superstar stayed in the game, he didn’t seem to be moving as confidently at times.

It didn’t seem to matter much though as Denver jumped out to a 18-11 lead on the back of a strong defensive showing early in Saturday’s game as Miami struggled from deep.

The Heat’s 3-point shooting has often been a barometer for their success and early on Miami just couldn’t find its rhythm, going 1-for-7 in the opening 11 minutes.

That was before Lowry and Butler each drained a clutch 3-pointer in the final moments of the quarter to see Miami take a 21-20 lead.

Elsewhere, Michael Porter Jr. continued his offensive struggles after going 0-for-4 from the field in the first quarter and visibly looking down on confidence.

Michael Porter Jr. has been down on confidence. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

But what would have pleased coach Michael Malone was how Porter Jr. was aggressively attacking the rim and fighting for rebounds, finding other ways to make an impact.

Jokic went to the locker room and was out of the game to open the second quarter as he tested out his ankle, later returning to the court after loosening up.

By that point the game was tied up at 30-all, with Gordon scoring Denver’s first eight points of the quarter to help the Nuggets keep up with a Miami team that was starting to catch fire.

Jokic certainly didn’t look fazed by the ankle issue though, quickly draining a rainbow 3-pointer.

A few sloppy turnovers from Miami near the end of the second quarter got Denver’s transition offence going as the Nuggets pushed out to a 54-45 lead.

The Heat though closed out the half on a 6-1 run, with Adebayo hammering it home before Butler missed two late free throw attempts.

Nikola Jokic reacts as he picks up his 5th on this offensive foul call.

Good call or bad call? 🤔pic.twitter.com/zyoWTA88GW

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 10, 2023

The Nuggets had struggled to finish off the first and second quarters but were locked in at the end of the third, pushing out to a 86-73 buffer to put the Heat on the ropes.

A controversial call early in the fourth though saw Jokic pick up his fifth personal foul, although coach Malone opted against challenging it as the two-time MVP went to the bench.

Things could have easily fallen apart for Denver at that point but instead the Nuggets stepped up on defence, answering Malone’s call before the game.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope came up with a critical strip on Butler that then ended with a Brown dunk on the other end as the Nuggets had a nine-point lead once Jokic re-entered the game.

That proved to be enough, with Brown heating up late too to make sure the Nuggets finished comfortable winners.

Originally published as Denver Nuggets defeat Miami Heat behind Aaron Gordon’s explosive display