Heat fans enjoy taste of victory ahead of NBA Finals Game 3 against Denver Nuggets

MIAMI – With a taste of victory, Malorie Aldrich, Rome Jackson, Sebastian Lopez, and Gabriel Hernandez were among the Miami Heat fans who were preparing for Wednesday’s home Game 3 at the Kaseya Center during the NBA Finals.

While Lopez and Jackson celebrated Game 2 on Sunday at the Kaseya Center, Hernandez was in Denver and Aldrich was on a cruise ship that was on its way to the Port of Miami.

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, right, celebrates with forward Jimmy Butler after scoring against the Denver Nuggets during the second half of Game 2 of basketball's NBA Finals, Sunday, June 4, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

They said they will never forget how Gabe Vincent, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo scored the 65 that made the 111-108 win over the Denver Nuggets possible.

“Everybody closed the game out,” Jackson said. “I was like, ‘YES, SIR!’ You know what I mean? Let’s take it back!”

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, center, tries to get past Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the second half of Game 2 of basketball's NBA Finals, Sunday, June 4, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Aldrich was outside of the Kaseya Center on Monday morning in downtown Miami to buy some Miami Heat Eastern Conference Championship gear.

“When they won, and they missed that three-pointer, the Denver Nuggets did, it was like, we all started screaming,” Aldrich said.

Miami Heat forward Caleb Martin, center, rebounds the ball after Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray misses a game-tying 3-point shot during the fourth quarter of Game 2 of basketball's NBA Finals, Sunday, June 4, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

“There was a, ‘LET’S GO HEAT!’ chant going on.”

Aldrich

Erik Spoelstra, Heat’s head coach since 2008, celebrated his players’ mental toughness.

It’s still unclear if Tyler Herro who suffered a broken hand during Game 1 will be able to play.

Related link: Share your team spirit with the local fan community


About the Author:

Trent Kelly is an award-winning multimedia journalist who joined the Local 10 News team in June 2018. Trent is no stranger to Florida. Born in Tampa, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he graduated with honors from the UF College of Journalism and Communications.