The Denver Nuggets have been crowned NBA champions for the first time in their 56-year history with a 4-1 series win over the Miami Heat in the 2023 Finals.
Leading 3-1 in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 5 at Ball Arena, Michael Malone's team completed the job in front of their own fans with a 94-89 success.
The Nuggets had previously suffered three semi-final defeats in a row between 2019 and 2021, while being thumped 4-1 by 2022 champions Golden State Warriors in the first round last year.
By seeing off the Heat, the Nuggets became just the second original American Basketball Association (ABA) franchise to be crowned NBA champions after five-time winners San Antonio Spurs.
"All the hard work, all the sacrifice, all the dedication, all culminated with us winning a championship," head coach Malone told the press after guiding the Nuggets to a historic title.
"But I got news for everybody out there: We're not satisfied with one. We want more. We want more. I feel really fortunate that our journey has been one of patience, one of drafting really well and developing those players."
The Bill Russell Trophy is awarded to #NBAFinals MVP Nikola Jokic 👏 pic.twitter.com/r0fR8zwpmE
— NBA (@NBA) June 13, 2023
The Nuggets trailed 51-44 at half time following a sluggish start to the contest - only landing two of their first 22 three-pointer attempts - but Nikola Jokic unsurprisingly came to the fore with a team-high 28 points and 16 rebounds.
The 28-year-old received the Bill Russell Trophy as the NBA Finals MVP after the game, becoming the lowest-drafted player to clinch the accolade, having been Denver's 41st pick in 2014.
Jokic - who missed out on a third successive NBA MVP award to Joel Embiid - also became the first centre in 21 years to win the NBA Finals MVP prize since Shaquille O'Neal in 2002, finishing the campaign as the first player to hit 500 points, 250 rebounds and 150 assists in a single post-season.
"I think he's showing other people nationally that he's real. Like what he's doing is real. The MVPs are real," Malone added on Jokic's record-breaking NBA Finals contributions amid derogatory comments over the Serbian 'stat-padding'.
"The silly narratives this year are just silly and somewhat ignorant. I think Nikola has gone through three rounds now where he's averaging a triple-double in the playoffs. Have you seen any stat padding out there? I'm serious. Enough of the silliness. The guy is a great player."
Michael Porter Jr also chipped in with his own double-double in the Nuggets' title-clinching win, registering 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Jamal Murray had 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to his name.
Ben Knapton
