![]() This Nuggets core around Jokic and Jamal Murray was fortified two years ago with the addition of Aaron Gordon, and again last offseason by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown and Christian Braun. All they’ve got to do is open their front door and look down to see the hype they’ve been wanting is waiting at their doorstep next to whatever they ordered on Amazon. The swirls out of Denver clamoring for national mainstream media to take them more seriously as title contenders, sick of narratives about Nikola Jokic’s defense or being the latest great “regular-season team”, has received it. FanDuel’s odds shifted them all the way to -490 for the series, just about doubling after Paul’s diagnosis dropped. The Nuggets are now the overwhelming favorites. Remember that whole underdog mentality it had? That’s out the window, friends. Those guys.īut the pressure now shifts toward Denver. You know, the opponent that looks like they could win it all in this current form. Before we get any further, that’s the biggest obstacle here. Eastern against the summer roster of the Denver Nuggets, in a meeting of the franchises that played in this past season’s NBA Finals.įrom there, the Heat will have one or two more games, depending on tournament seeding.Suns arrive home with heavy mission after disheartening Game 2 loss to NuggetsĪctually, that’s a bit unfair and disrespectful to how great the Nuggets have looked through two games. Eastern against the summer roster of the Milwaukee Bucks, the franchise they eliminated in the first round of this past season’s playoffs. What’s next: The Heat now have a two-day break before closing out preliminary-round play with a back-to-back set. In attendance in the game being played concurrently at the other UNLV gym was Strus, who took in Cleveland’s summer-league game alongside Cavaliers teammate Donovan Mitchell.ĥ. Former Heat forward James Jones, the Suns’ general manager, watched from the baseline. Heat Erik Spoelstra watched from alongside those two.įormer Heat assistant coach David Fizdale, now a Suns assistant, sat across from the Phoenix bench. The appearance was not related to the Heat’s trade pursuit of Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, but rather because of the NBA Board of Governors’ meeting Tuesday. Looking on: Among those who sat across from the Heat bench were team owner Micky Arison and Heat CEO Nick Arison. “That pretty much was my fault,” Butler said of Robinson’s fouls, saying he had Robinson playing too aggressively on defense.Ĥ. ![]() To his credit, Robinson then came out with a more aggressive bent in the second half, albeit while also dealing with foul issues, up to six before the end of the third period (players get 10 in the 40-minute summer games before fouling out). Robinson stood with four points on 2-of-4 shooting at the intermission, with five rebounds and four turnovers. Alternate view: After scoring 36 points in Saturday’s victory over the Boston Celtics’ summer roster, Robinson this time did not score until 5:36 remained in the first half, uneven early against a more physical Suns front line. Undrafted out of Oakland University in 2022, Cain missed the Heat’s first summer-league games with an ankle sprain.ģ. “He made some amazing plays down the stretch.”Ĭain closed out the regular season going 4 of 4 on 3-pointers against the Orlando Magic, then ineligible for the playoffs on his two-way contract. “We told him he had to be ready,” Butler said of Cain, with Jaquez out and Jovic sore. He later converted a late step-back 3-pointer to tie it 70-70 with 1:38 to play. ![]() From deep: Cain converted a pair of 3-pointers on consecutive attempts in the first quarter, a significant moment considering his most likely path to an eventual standard contract is as a 3-and-D player. Related ArticlesĪSK IRA: Will Heat trade exceptions from Strus, Oladipo deals hold any value?Ģ. Boyea closed with seven points, nine rebounds, nine assists. Guard Jamaree Bouyea, who had missed Saturday night’s game with an ankle sprain, then entered and converted a 3-pointer. The Heat then were scoreless at the game’s first timeout, down 8-0 with 6:22 left in the first period. ![]() The Heat opened for the second consecutive game with a starting lineup of Jovic, Robinson, Cain, Peterson and Dru Smith. Still out was first-round pick Jaime Jaquez Jr., who also missed Saturday’s game with the sore left shoulder sustained Wednesday in the second of the Heat’s two summer-league games in Sacramento. Jovic back Jaquez out: Jovic played though the sore left foot that kept him out of most of Saturday’s fourth quarter and then Sunday’s practice. That latter category included 2022 first-round pick Nikola Jovic, who was largely ineffective, closing 0 for 6 from the field, including 0 for 4 on 3-pointers, with just one rebound and no assists in his 18:53.įive Degrees of Heat from Monday’s summer-league game:ġ. ![]()
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