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Nuggets 119 - HEAT 124 Game Recap

The Miami HEAT defeated the Denver Nuggets 124-119 Monday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Justise Winslow led the way for the HEAT with 20 points.

1. Rookies Steal the Show

Both Winslow and Josh Richardson had monster performances on Monday night. Winslow mixed things up offensively with shots from the perimeter and finishes in the post. As usual, he did a good job of being ready for the pass on the block. That allowed him to go up quickly and either complete the play or draw a foul. When not inside, Winslow drilled smart pull-up mid-range jumpers within the flow of the offense. Due to his efficient play, he shot 8-of-13 for his career-high 20 points.

While Winslow did a lot of damage in the half court, he also had a few nice plays in transition. To start the break early on, Joe Johnson swiped the errant pass from Emmanuel Mudiay and passed it to Goran Dragic. The Slovenian then went with a fancy behind-the-back pass to Johnson, who lobbed it up for Winslow. The 19-year-old finished the layup to put Miami up 33-31 with 1:20 left in the first quarter.

Richardson, meanwhile, simply continued his torrid shooting from downtown. Throughout the contest, the former Tennessee Volunteer nailed a bunch of catch-and-shoot treys to stretch the floor for the HEAT.

Although that was very important, Richardson brought the crowd to its feet in the fourth quarter. With 6:27 to go in the final period, the 22-year-old easily blew by Augustin on the left wing and threw down the tomahawk jam.

On the flip side of the ball, the rookie had two key blocks in the fourth and displayed great hustle all night. In all, Richardson had 17 points, four boards, two assists and three blocks on 6-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.

2. Deng Keeps It Up

On the defensive end, Deng competed very well against Nikola Jokic for most of the night. At times, he was also matched-up with Joffrey Lauvergne and Arthur. The former Blue Devil tallied 17 points, eight rebounds and two assists on 7-of-10 shooting.

3. Cool Joe

While Johnson bullied his way in the post and did damage from inside for a majority of the contest, he hit a huge shot down the stretch to make sure Miami stayed ahead. His fadeaway jumper with 1:01 remaining in the game put the HEAT up 118-110. Even though the Nuggets continued to claw away and narrowed the deficit, that shot was huge. In all, Johnson scored 18 points and dished out five assists.

Game Notes:

-Seven players scored in double-figures for Miami.

-Chris Bosh and Tyler Johnson (shoulder surgery) sat out. T. Johnson was active per NBA rules, but did not play.