Denver Nuggets Win First NBA Championship After Closing Out Miami Heat in Game 5

• The Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals
• The Nuggets captured their first-ever championship with Monday’s victory
• Nikola Jokic was named the 2023 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player

The long wait is finally over for the Denver Nuggets.

They won their first-ever NBA championship on Monday night, beating the Miami Heat 94-89 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Five players scored in double figures for the Nuggets, who won the championship series by a score of four games to one.

Jokic wins Finals MVP

Nikola Jokic starred for the Nuggets in the series clincher, scoring 28 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. He was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, per ESPN.

Michael Porter Jr. also registered a double-double in Game 5 with 16 points and 13 boards.

Top 20 highest-scoring NBA games in the history of the league

NBA

Jamal Murray stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.

Bruce Brown contributed off the bench, scoring 10 points.

Nuggets struggle from deep

The win did not come easy for the Nuggets, who struggled mightily with their outside shooting in Game 5.

They missed 20 of their first 22 attempts from beyond the arc and seven of their first 13 free throws.

The Nuggets shot 1 of 15 from the 3-point area in the first half as they trailed the Heat 51-44 at the break.

Denver stages second-half rally

They fought back strongly in the third quarter, outscoring Miami 26-20 during that period to cut the deficit to just one point.

They started the fourth quarter with a 16-8 run to grab an 86-79 advantage with 4:06 remaining in the contest, sending the Nuggets fans into a frenzy.

Butler erupts in fourth quarter

There is no quit with the Heat, though, as Jimmy Butler went on one of his patented scoring runs to keep Miami in the ballgame.

Miami Heat end Boston Celtics’ miracle run in Game 7 to advance to NBA Finals

NBA

Butler scored 13 straight points to give Miami an 89-88 lead with 1:58 left to play in Game 5.

The Nuggets weren’t going to be denied, though, scoring the game’s final six points to win the championship for the first time in the franchise’s 47 years in the NBA.

Best players in the playoffs

Sports Brief recently reported on the best players this NBA postseason.

Jokic led the list, recording 10 triple-doubles during Denver’s championship run.

Murray came in second, producing stellar performances in the series against the Wolves, Suns, Lakers, and the Heat.