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

[marson]

All I witness is we just got beat by the best player in the league and we have 0 answer for him.

These refs excuses are laughable, if you really think the league wants this fixed, we would've lost in the Knicks series already.

Admit it, HEAT just got beat by a better team today but we still have a chance on Friday to tie this thing up.

[Michael Doleac]

I think he meant that we're one of two teams still playing.

The Heat are the 2nd biggest remaining team in the NBA. Everyone else is finished.

I was doing both. Pointing out that we're one of the last two teams standing, and poking fun at fans that are still obsessed with big lineups like it's still the previous century. It's exactly like football fans who can't get off the "you have to be able to run the ball to win" thing.

For me, it's not about having big, clumsy stiffs out there just for the sake of having size. If you're against that type of size, I'm in agreement with you. Lumbering, useless oafs are a thing of the past and unplayable in today's NBA.

But if we are able to get a defensive big (or two) that can play 20+ minutes per game - grab rebounds, play good defense and can spell Bam at times, it would be a huge help not only during the regular season but also to help avoid our guys getting worn out during the playoffs. Part of the issue is that since Bam/Jimmy don't shoot 3's consistently if we have another (big) guy that can't shoot 3's starting the paint will be too congested.

Also having another defensive minded player with some size that could guard PG's/SG's/possibly SF's would be big towards helping Jimmy. Though his defense was not great tonight, Jimmy seems to be perimeter player on the roster that can really put up any resistance to Murray.

Maybe Highsmith with more time under his belt is that guy.

Of course wanting these types of players, getting the right fit (ability to make open shots as well), and actually being able to actually acquire them is an entirely different thing.

[powerball1373]

I know we switch a lot on defense but please! Bam cannot switch! He needs to stay with Jokic! Too many times I saw Jokic bullying Lowry, Vincent and Martin! He was having no problem whatsoever scoring on our midgets. This can't happen again. Also, Bam is a great defender but he is just too small to guard Jokic. I think we need to play Zeller and Yurt on Jokic and let Bam play at the 4.

Lowry, Vincent, or Martin on Jokic doesn't ever happen on purpose. It's when we get caught in transition, a cross-match, offensive rebound, or some other bad sequence of events. It's def not planned lol.

[powerball1373]

What to do...what to do???

I'm at a lost boys... We can't stop Jokic And in the past three series There was no one we couldn't stop... phuq

You let Jokic score because this team doesn't have anyone big enough and skilled enough to stop him, you stick to and slow everyone else which means slowing up Murray, if you can't slow up Murray you're screwed.

Posted this before, but worth reposting. Kerr says Murray is the head of the snake, not Jokic. So let Jokic do his thing but keep Murray contained, like in Game 2.

Read on Twitter

[Rapaz]

Murray is the head of their anaconda.

Who’s the head of our worm?

[powerball1373]

Murray is the head of their anaconda.

Who’s the head of our worm?

I asked the AI to draw Herro as a worm. This is terrifying.

[Rapaz]

Murray is the head of their anaconda.

Who’s the head of our worm?

I asked the AI to draw Herro as a worm. This is terrifying.

Send that into Jokic’s hotel room at 3:00 am.

[Wiltside]

Wow, we lose and get stuck with worm Herro

Our offense was gross tonight. I have faith we will correct it and win game 4. It then comes down to a best of 3, with 2 of those games in Denver. Not easy, but we do seem to play better on the road for whatever reason...just took a game there, so we know it can be done.

Have to hold game 4 though. Must win.

[ShulaDon92]

Murray is the head of their anaconda.

Who’s the head of our worm?

I asked the AI to draw Herro as a worm. This is terrifying.

Wtf haha

-SHULA

[El Alonzo scowl]

F'ing awful performance

[Daffy]

When we won game 2 I didn't post on these boards. I posted here for games 1 and 3. When we won game 7 in Boston I didn't post either. I now know what I have to do.

[Wiltside]

When we won game 2 I didn't post on these boards. I posted here for games 1 and 3. When we won game 7 in Boston I didn't post either. I now know what I have to do.

Your sacrifice will be worth it in the end, Daffy.

Let me dream edition / Team of Destiny incoming.

[3ballbomber]

Spoiler:

What to do...what to do???

I'm at a lost boys... We can't stop Jokic And in the past three series There was no one we couldn't stop... phuq

You let Jokic score because this team doesn't have anyone big enough and skilled enough to stop him, you stick to and slow everyone else which means slowing up Murray, if you can't slow up Murray you're screwed.

Posted this before, but worth reposting. Kerr says Murray is the head of the snake, not Jokic. So let Jokic do his thing but keep Murray contained, like in Game 2.

Read on Twitter

This is spot on. Murray is a 3 level scorer....he can kill you on 3s also. He made some timely 3s when we were trying to go on runs. Where as Jokic makes his living mostly in the paint. We can live w/ his 2's if we contain & limit Murray the way we did in gm2.

Prior to gm3 my thoughts was if both Jokic & Murray get it going they will win the game. And here we are now w/ worm herro w/ his bent index finger penis.

[Kobewade11]

Jokic averaging 33/14/9

[3ballbomber]

Too much Jimmy bashing in here following every loss. Guy is obviously gutting it out through injury, but I guess that's just not good enough for some fans.

He talks all this **** and makes all these guarantees and he needs to back it up, Simple as that.

You do realize that we're an 8 seed playing against a 1 seed in the Finals, right? Did you really expect us to roll over these guys? And what you call him "talking s*it" just sounds like the leader of our team being confident to my ears. Would you prefer him to get up there and say "We have no chance, we're gonna get our azz kicked"?

lol @talking sh*t. How many times has Butler backed his sh*t up! He promised after gm7 last season we'd have enough & we'd get it done next time and he did. And that was a tall order. In order to do that we had to kill the top seed & Jimmy delivered w/ a career series for the f*cking ages. Just legendary stuff. & doing it w/out Herro to help space the floor or take attention offa him. He continued his stellar play vs Knicks & had his revenge against the very team, the 2nd seed, he made his promised against to advance us to the NBA Finals.

Jimmy simply says all the right things as a leader to keep his teammates even keeled & to exemplify composure, calm & toughness that spreads to his team. Ultimately we would not be here w/out him. We wouldn't have the success we've had since he joined the Heat, period.

[3ballbomber]

Win and the Heat are champs; lose and we get Dame (or Millsap).

I feel like ICC after his wife promised to suck his soul out through his urethra if the Celtics won.

[fishfuego.]

You snuck Bam in there?

He’s easily been our best player in each game

But not good enough to get the respect of the referees. Refs give dude the rookie treatment.

There was one sequence towards the end of the game where Bam got hacked again, and his reaction to the referee was like WTF are you waiting for to call this chit ( screaming). IMO he was already mentally fked, and may have thought it was going to go unnoticed again by these frauds that do the Mafia’s errr NBA’s dirty work so called referees ( fake ), but it finally got the whistle, and at this point it was like, really now?

See, Bam was the best player on the Heat tonight doing the team’s dirty work, and to not have Spo throw a tantrum, and getting a technical while seeing his ( lone) workhorse getting picked apart by these NBA system soldiers called referees, is nothing more than an acceptance to this sham.

Thank God we have the Dolphins as an exciting team once again in S-FL (it has been too long). I can’t stand this league any longer. It is so scripted it makes Netflix the better sports league.

Sorry, but what we address as ‘respect from referees’ is nothing more than a system. These officials don’t follow any player’s league status fanatically. They follow a league formula that they enforce on a game to game basis. The league is the one that protects, the referees simply enforce.

[marson]

Jokic averaging 33/14/9

Checked all the best player stats vs all Heat finals

2006 Finals Dirk Nowitzi 23/11/3 - won

2011 Finals Dirk Nowitzki 26/9/2 - lost

2012 Finals Kevin Durant 30/6/2 - won

2013 Finals Tony Parker 16/2/6 - won

2014 Finals Kawi Leonard 18/6/2 - lost

2020 Finals LeBron James 30/12/9 - lost

2020 Finals Anthony Davis 25/11/3 - lost

2023 Finals Nikola Jokic 33/14/9 - TBD

We are up against the best player ever in a Heat finals series stat-wise this year.

[3ballbomber]

Spoiler:

He’s easily been our best player in each game

But not good enough to get the respect of the referees. Refs give dude the rookie treatment.

There was one sequence towards the end of the game where Bam got hacked again, and his reaction to the referee was like WTF are you waiting for to call this chit ( screaming). IMO, he was already mentally fked, and may have thought it was going to go unnoticed again by these frauds that do the Mafia’s errr NBA’s dirty work so called referees ( fake ), but it finally got the whistle, and at this point it was like, really now?

See, Bam was the best player on the Heat tonight doing the team’s dirty work, and to not have Spo throw a tantrum, and getting a technical while seeing his ( lone) workhorse getting picked apart by these NBA system soldiers called referees, is nothing more than an acceptance to this sham.

Thank God we have the Dolphins as an exciting team once again in S-FL (it has been too long). I can’t stand this league any longer. It is so scripted it makes Netflix the better sports league.

Sorry, but what we address as ‘respect from referees’ is nothing more than a system. These officials don’t follow any player’s league status fanatically. They follow a league formula that they enforce on a game to game basis. The league is the one that protects, the referees simply enforce.

I'm not sure if it's acceptance more than it is having a certain professional approach to the bullsh*t. We've seen this time & time again, there is no amount of complaining that will make the officiating suddenly dismiss instructions form the top. I don't necessarily agree w/ it as i'd much rather they express public objection & expose this crap but i'd rather Heat's approach than having the league hate us, our coach or certain Heat players & have it cost us in vital games.

[IceColdCubano]

Win and the Heat are champs; lose and we get Dame (or Millsap).

I feel like ICC after his wife promised to suck his soul out through his urethra if the Celtics won.

Turn of events, I ended up getting both scenarios so anything is possible folks. If we win this, we could still get Dame.