On March 13, we will have the second part of the 2023 NBA Finals rematch between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets. 2023-24 Regular Season MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic lit up the Miami Heat in last year’s Finals and won the 2023 Finals MVP award. Let’s have a look at the brilliant statistics of the Joker against the Miami Heat ahead of the Miami-Denver matchup tonight at Kaseya Center.
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In 17 Regular Season games against the Eastern Conference ball club, Jokic has put up 20.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. He has shot 54.5% from the field and has made 1.1 out of 2.6 three-pointers attempted on 40.9% shooting from deep. In terms of his highest scores against the Heat, the Joker stacked 34 points in the Nuggets’ 141-149 double OT loss to the Miami Heat on March 19, 2018.
Jokic nailed 4 out of 5 attempts from deep and shot 54.5% from the floor in that game. He also grabbed 15 rebounds, which is tied for his Regular Season high in rebounds against the Heat as well. The 2x NBA MVP has nabbed 15 rebounds against the Heat three times in his career. In terms of career-high in assists, he dished 12 assists against the Heat on December 30, 2022. The Nuggets won 124-119 as Jokic put up 19 points and 12 rebounds in addition to his career-high in assists against the Heat.
In terms of career-high in steals, the Serb once picked up four steals against the Eastern Conference team. On November 3, 2017, Jokic and the Nuggets defeated a gritty Heat 96-95 as the 6’11” Center compiled 19 points and 14 rebounds, in addition to the four pick-pocket jobs.
When it comes to blocks, the Nuggets Ace has blocked 2 shots thrice against the Heat. In terms of triple-doubles, the Joker has bagged an impressive 4 TDs, 3 of them coming in the last three seasons. The double-doubles tally is exquisite as well, with the Serbian tallying 15 DDs in 17 games.
In terms of scoring, the methodical Center has tallied at least 19 points in 11 games, while scoring 20+ points seven times. This was a brief look at his statistics against the Heat in the Regular Season. Meanwhile, the 29-year-old’s 2023 Finals statistics soared and are amongst the most efficient ones in NBA history.
NBA Finals Performances and Win/Loss record
During the Nuggets’ commanding 4-1 Finals win, Nikola Jokic put up 30.2 points, 14 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game, as per StatMuse. He made 58.3% of his attempts from the field and nailed 1.6 triples per game on 42.1% shooting from deep. In terms of series-high, the dominant athlete’s best scoring output came in the only loss. In Game 2’s 108-111 defeat, he put up 41 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists, while shooting 15/28 from the field. His best rebounding performance came in Game 3 when he avenged the Game 2 loss and collected 21 rebounds. The eventual Finals MVP also added 32 points and 10 assists as the Nuggets won 109-94.
His best assists performance came in Game 1 when he dished 14 assists in the 104-93 win. Meanwhile, in Game 4 of the 2023 Finals, the Serbian phenom captured his series-high blocks and steals with 3. He also had 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists in the 108-95 win.
Jokic’s Regular Season record is also superior against the Erik Spoelstra-led squad. Under his watch, the Nuggets have won 12 out of 17 Regular Season games against the Heat and are on a 7-game winning streak against them.
If we combine the Regular Season and Finals record then Jokic has pulled off 16 wins in 21 total games against the defensively disciplined squad. This will be the second occasion when the Nuggets will take on the Heat during the Regular Season. During their first meet on February 29, Jokic led the Nuggets to a 103-97 win and put up 18 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, and steals.
