The Miami HEAT fell to the Denver Nuggets 103-87 Monday night at Pepsi Center. Justise Winslow led the way for the HEAT with 15 points.
1. JJ Sharp From The Get-Go
With Miami needing a spark off the bench in the second quarter, James Johnson provided it with seven straight points, including this nifty spin, ball fake and finish inside:
A little later, JJ then came through with this great block on Trey Lyles on the perimeter:
Speaking of defense, Johnson was physical against Nikola Jokić and made the Serbian’s looks as tough as possible when matched up against him.
When it was all said and done, the 31-year-old had 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, six rebounds, a team-high three blocks, two assists and a steal.
2. Winslow Leads The Way
After cutting to the basket with purpose and finishing a few plays inside early on, Winslow started to do a little more damage off the dribble in the second half.
And of course, one of his better plays of the night came thanks to his defense:
On that side of the ball, Winslow really made life difficult for Jamal Murray and helped hold him to just 3-of-12 shooting.
The 22-year-old Winslow ended up with four rebounds and two steals to go along with his aforementioned team-high 15 points.
3. J. Rich Shares The Wealth
With Denver blitzing Josh Richardson after his career night on Sunday, the 25-year-old took what the defense gave him and facilitated well for his teammates.
In fact, Richardson dished out a game-high eight assists, including this rifle to Winslow late in the second quarter:
In addition to his eight assists, J. Rich also accumulated 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting and a steal.
Other Takeaways:
-Ryan Anderson made his HEAT debut and recorded an assist in a shade under two minutes of action.
Game Note:
-Derrick Jones Jr. (Right Knee Bone Bruises), Goran Dragić (Right Knee Surgery) and Yante Maten (Sioux Falls Assignment) were inactive.
Looking Ahead:
-Up next for the HEAT are the Mavericks on Wednesday at 8:30 PM. Miami’s next home tilt won’t be until after the All-Star Break when it hosts the Pistons on Saturday, Feb. 23. Tickets for that game at AmericanAirlines Arena can be found here.