On January 18th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season saw the Denver Nuggets face off against the Miami Heat on the road. Jokic made his return to the court, and Butler also returned after serving a seven-game suspension. Jokic once again delivered a triple-double performance, leading the Nuggets to suppress the Heat with a team attack, gradually expanding their lead by over 20 points to secure an early victory. Ultimately, the Nuggets defeated the Heat 133-113, sweeping the season series and consolidating their fourth place in the Western Conference, while the Heat suffered their third consecutive loss, falling to ninth in the Eastern Conference after being overtaken by the Pistons.
Statistical Highlights
Nuggets: Jokic returned with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists; Murray scored 30 points with 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals; Westbrook had 11 points and 7 assists; Porter contributed 14 points and 9 rebounds; Gordon added 16 points, with a total of 7 players scoring in double figures.
Heat: Butler returned from a seven-game suspension with 18 points; Adebayo had 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists; Herro scored 22 points with 5 rebounds and 4 assists; Jovic added 16 points.
Firstly, Jokic achieved his 17th triple-double of the season, firmly ranking first in the league.
Secondly, this was Jokic's 147th career triple-double, solidifying his position at third in history.
Game Recap
The Nuggets entered the game with a record of 24 wins and 16 losses in their first 40 games, having suffered a disappointing 108-128 home loss to the Rockets in their previous match. The Heat, with a record of 20 wins and 19 losses in their first 39 games, had lost two consecutive games to the Clippers and Lakers. In their first meeting this season, the Nuggets won 135-122 at home. For this game, the Heat were without Richardson and Drew Smith, while the Nuggets were missing Chandler and Holmes. Both Jokic and Butler made their returns, with the Nuggets quickly taking a 19-8 lead in the first half of the first quarter. The Heat responded with an 11-4 run to close the gap. The Nuggets then scored 7 points in a row to re-establish an 11-point lead, with the Heat managing to cut it down to 5 points. The first quarter ended with the Nuggets leading 30-24, with Jokic (8+7+5), Murray (9 points), and Westbrook (8 points) outscoring the entire Heat team by one point.
In the second quarter, both teams increased their offensive firepower, with the Nuggets scoring 37 points in a single quarter. The Nuggets maintained a 6-point lead for the first four minutes of the quarter, then extended it to 10 points with a 6-point run, with Jokic controlling the game through his attacking and passing. Murray scored 11 points in the second quarter, leading the Nuggets to another 6-point win with a 37-31 quarter score, ending the first half with the Nuggets leading 67-55. In the first two quarters, three Nuggets players scored in double figures: Jokic (12+10+7), Murray (20 points), and Gordon (10 points). Two Heat players scored in double figures: Herro (14 points) and Adebayo (10 points), with Butler contributing 8 points.
After halftime, both teams continued their offensive battle, each scoring over 30 points in a quarter. The Nuggets expanded their lead to 81-64 in the first three and a half minutes of the third quarter. The Heat fought back tenaciously, with Westbrook hitting a three-pointer to maintain a 91-75 lead. The Heat made a strong comeback attempt, cutting the deficit to 9 points with just over a minute left in the third quarter. The Nuggets then scored another 3 points to solidify their advantage. Both teams scored 31 points in the third quarter, with the Nuggets maintaining a 12-point lead at 98-86 heading into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Nuggets had already extended their lead to 21 points at 109-88 within the first two and a half minutes, continuing to dominate the Heat inside and out. They further increased their lead to 22 points at 114-92. The Nuggets continued to control the game, with the Heat effectively surrendering early. Both teams subsequently substituted their main players, and the Nuggets comfortably secured a big win over the Heat to consolidate their fourth place in the Western Conference.
Starting Lineups
Nuggets: Braun, Porter, Jokic, Murray, Westbrook
Heat: Butler, H. Smith, Adebayo, Herro, D. Robinson