2023 NBA Finals, Game 3: Nuggets @ Heat, 6/7 @ 8:30pm

[Grumpy Heat Fan]

3 mas.

[contract]

“Let’s talk about effort. This is NBA Finals, we are talking about effort; that’s a huge concern of mine,” a fuming Nuggets coach Michael Malone said postgame. “You guys probably thought I was just making up some storyline after Game 1 when I said we didn’t play well. We didn’t play well. Tonight, the starting lineup to start the game, it was 10-2 Miami. Start of the third quarter, they scored 11 points in two minutes and 10 seconds. We had guys out there that were just, whether feeling sorry for themselves for not making shots or thinking they can just turn it on or off, this is not the preseason, this is not the regular season. This is the NBA Finals. That to me is really, really perplexing, disappointing.

Go ahead and beat down your own guys.

[QUIZ]

If we match Bam’s minutes with Jokic’s minutes and have Highsmith play backup 5, we win game 3.

Gotta stop giving the Nuggets free rein to just feast on us. If Bam needs a blow then have Love be backup 5. At least he’s smart and can shoot unlike Zeller who is bad at everything.

Zeller is basically Deadmon out there.

[DayofMourning]

If we match Bam’s minutes with Jokic’s minutes and have Highsmith play backup 5, we win game 3.

Gotta stop giving the Nuggets free rein to just feast on us. If Bam needs a blow then have Love be backup 5. At least he’s smart and can shoot unlike Zeller who is bad at everything.

Zeller is basically Deadmon out there.

Would prefer Dedmon after last night. Sheesh.

[insfo]

If we match Bam’s minutes with Jokic’s minutes and have Highsmith play backup 5, we win game 3.

Gotta stop giving the Nuggets free rein to just feast on us. If Bam needs a blow then have Love be backup 5. At least he’s smart and can shoot unlike Zeller who is bad at everything.

Zeller is basically Deadmon out there.

I strongly feel that the only reason Zeller is out there, is to try and get Jimmy going .. either with his screening, or being an outlet for a layup here and there. On defense, the hope is that he is a big body who can use a few fouls on Jokic, especially since the goal seems to be making him a scorer vs a facilitator. Zeller seems to fit that role to a T, since he definitely let's Jokic score at will

[Rapaz]

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[insfo]

If we match Bam’s minutes with Jokic’s minutes and have Highsmith play backup 5, we win game 3.

Gotta stop giving the Nuggets free rein to just feast on us. If Bam needs a blow then have Love be backup 5. At least he’s smart and can shoot unlike Zeller who is bad at everything.

Zeller is basically Deadmon out there.

I strongly feel that the only reason Zeller is out there, is to try and get Jimmy going .. either with his screening, or being an outlet for a layup here and there. On defense, the hope is that he is a big body who can use a few fouls on Jokic, especially since the goal seems to be making him a scorer vs a facilitator. Zeller seems to fit that role to a T, since he definitely let's Jokic score at will

I also read somewhere that this could be "bait" for Malone to play Jokic longer than he should, so he could eat against the scrub. Seems like something Spo & Riley might think up too

[insfo]

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Hopefully has a different final outcome this time around!

[3ammy3uck3ts]

Lock in and take control of this series! 3 of the next 4 at home. We need to take the lead here

[insfo]

This definitely lightens the blow of my AC going out at my house and having to watch this glorious dub in a hotel lobby

PandaMod, hope you've made plans to be at that hotel lobby in 53 hours!

I can't do this all on my own

[Grumpy Heat Fan]

i forgot, its 50% off today on papa johns, day after heat win

[HeatingUp3]

Let’s win this! Im in!!!

[DayofMourning]

Lets take the series lead here!

Rest, ice, compression, elevation Jimmy.

[3ammy3uck3ts]

What’s the altitude in Miami?

[KingDavid]

What’s the altitude in Miami?

0-6.6 feet above sea level.

[IceColdCubano]

Its really crazy to sit here and say after the season we just witnessed that this Miami Heat squad is 3 games away from an NBA championship. They succeeded through the gauntlet that is the Easter Conference favorites in Milwaukee & Boston, and got a very strong tour de force from the New York knicks and still came out victorious through all of that.

Every game they keep inching by like an unstoppable train that jumps a track every couple miles to give you the goosies. This Winning is like an oasis mirage of a casino dream state were this pool of house money gratuity keeps overflowing, like a table at this casino of perpetual chips stacking on the table and your unsure if you can actually hold on for dear life drowning in the moment or if your getting kicked out of this imaginary casino for counting cards when your just really out here having fun without thinking about math at all. You have zero clue as to why the Gods are gifting you this insane improbability.

Now here we sit, taking homecourt away from the opposition like we have done in every single series from the start of this playoff run. Heading back home where we play two straight games in our house, which ultimately leaves you salivating with the unimageable forethought of what if we win them both. Now your taking a 3-1 series lead and a game away from an NBA championship. Its not a fallible thought either because the team has put themselves in this situation, with these gritty close outs. Its hard not to look ahead, and just stay in the moment, because that's the Miami Heat way. We play one game at time, we outwork the other team and find solutions to the problems we face on the court. Sometimes these solutions are schematical, sometimes its just about headspace and doing things with more intension or intensity. Incredibly no matter what our recourse or solution to the dilemma at hand, we somehow come out victorious, and its a hell of feeling.

However Let me take a step back, and understand the mission is not over, but as a fan why not have this moments of flex and superfluous day dreaming even if its for a mere moment of enjoyment. I digress, perhaps this feeling could all go away and we get gentlemen swept off the floor. Nothing would surprise me at this point, but its too late to make it feel bad regardless of the result. Its just like a runaway belt fed machine gun on a shooting range running wild. You just need to hold on for dear life, watching the barrel turn red hot as thousands of rounds fly out screaming into the mound of uncertainty. Reveling and laughing like a madman enjoying every shell casing that hits your cheeks pointing the weapon down range hoping to turn and ignite the very air in flames of maddening joy.

[3ammy3uck3ts]

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Got damn lol

[MartyConlonJr]

Jimmy has struggled of late and it is arguable regular season Jimmy was better per minute from simple box scores:
Regular season Jimmy per36:
24.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.7 apg, 2.0 spg, 0.4 bpg on 53.9% FG, 35.0% 3PT, 85.0% FT (on 9.3 attempts)
Playoff Jimmy per36:
25.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.6 bpg on 47.5% FG, 36.4% 3PT, 81.3% FT (on 7.7 attempts)

Obviously there is more to it than a box score, but Jimmy is playing similar to regular season as a whole, but playing an extra 6 mins a game.

[Rapaz]

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Got damn lol

Micky:

[AirP.]

Jimmy has struggled of late and it is arguable regular season Jimmy was better per minute from simple box scores:
Regular season Jimmy per36:
24.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.7 apg, 2.0 spg, 0.4 bpg on 53.9% FG, 35.0% 3PT, 85.0% FT (on 9.3 attempts)
Playoff Jimmy per36:
25.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.6 bpg on 47.5% FG, 36.4% 3PT, 81.3% FT (on 7.7 attempts)

Obviously there is more to it than a box score, but Jimmy is playing similar to regular season as a whole, but playing an extra 6 mins a game.

Sadly, there may be a reason. - posted earlier by 3ammy3uck3ts

Butler looks like he's moving good out there, but the passion hasn't been there and maybe this is why. It makes more sense why he gave his ECF MVP trophy to his dad.

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