The Denver Nuggets survived a late thriller over the Miami Heat in Game 5 (89-94) and closed out the series (4-1) to become the new NBA champions.
Coming back from a 10-point deficit (39-29), the Nuggets relied on defense in the fourth quarter, allowing just 18 points, and went on to win the game and seal the deal, claiming the title for the first time in franchise history.
Nikola Jokic had 28 points and 16 points for the winners, with Jamal Murray adding 14 points and eight assists and Michael Porter Jr. posting 16 points and 13 boards.
The Nuggets center averaged 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.2 assists in the series and won the NBA Finals MVP award.
On the other hand, Jimmy Butler (21 points, 5/18 shooting) and Bam Adebayo (20 points, 12 boards) led the way for Miami, but missed some big shots in crunch time.
En route to the NBA Finals, the Heat eliminated three teams who finished higher than them in the East standings and became just the second No.8 seed in league history to reach the Finals.
