DENVER – Miami Heat fans walked out of Ball Arena Thursday with their heads held high despite the team’s 104-93 loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Local 10 News spoke with Heat fans that made the trip from Miami who thought that fatigue was one of the largest contributing factors to the loss.
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“We lost by 11 and missed every shot in the world,” said one Heat fan.
“I think we were tired from the Celtics game,” another fan said.
“It’s just Game 1 and it’s a seven-game series. We like to come back from adversity, so I think we’re fine, said Heat fan Chuck Ragland.
Heat superfan Jose Montalvan said he flew in for the day just to watch the game and paid a hefty price for a ticket.
The Heat will look to rebound and be more aggressive on the offensive end after setting a record with the fewest (2) free throw attempts in an NBA playoff game.
Nuggets Center Nikola Jokic took control of the game by earning his 15th career triple-double in the playoffs. The two-time MVP finished the game with 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds.
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray contributed 26 points and forward Aaron Gordon added 16 of his own in the Game 1 victory.
Heat forwards Caleb Martin and Max Strus will look to pick up the pace after scoring a combined 3 points shooting 1 of 17 from the floor.
Jimmy Butler said that he wants the team to attack the basket more after settling on jump shots for most of the night and not getting to the free-throw line.
“Maybe I gotta be a little more aggressive,” Butler said in a postgame interview “I gotta put pressure on the rim. Me with no free throws, that was all on myself. Nobody else. We’re gonna correct that next game, but only I can do that,”
Miami will have a chance to tie up the series in Game 2 on Sunday before the series comes back to the Kaseya Center.
Tip-off for Game 2 is set for 8 p.m. and you can catch all the NBA Finals action right here on Local 10.