Hypertrophy is materialized | G3 rematch: Nuggets show interior advantage Three points are still the lifeblood of the Heat

Jimmy Butler is still the same Jimmy Butler, and Spoelstra continues their proven correct line-up and defensive strategy in G2.

But this time, it was the Denver Nuggets that won the game — even, the game was played out of garbage time.

In fact, after reading my G2 post-game analysis, I have already said: "The Heat's roster layout, defensive adjustments, and execution have all been perfect, while the Nuggets are full of mistakes, and then what?" The Nuggets lost by only three points.

With the Heat G2's defensive style, can't Jokic kill them? Absolutely, in fact if they had missed a three-point shot in G2, they could have lost the game (G2 Heat shot 48.6 percent from three-point range)."

And G3 is just a game that "proves it".

The Heat can't stop the Nuggets, and I guess it's no secret.

G1, Nuggets offensive efficiency 111.8;

G2, Nuggets offensive efficiency 124.1;

G3, Nuggets offensive efficiency 117.2.

Spoelstra has tried almost every way to defend: targeting, combining, mixing combined, sinking, going forward, delaying, pocketing – but Jokic and Jamal Murray always have a way to find an exit.

If the Heat want to win the Nuggets, they can only attack.

G2, they blasted 129.1 in offensive efficiency, so they won the game.

Today, the Heat continue to try to carry the G2's "key to victory" into G3.

As we said in the last article, Jimmy Butler's 19 breakthroughs (G1 only 8) has become the most essential difference between the Heat G2 and G1 - his breakthrough is the most powerful weapon to change the Nuggets' defense and drive the Heat to three points.

G3, Butler broke through 24 times.

But the facts tell us that miracles don't happen every day — this time, the Heat shooter didn't return Butler's pass.

G2, they shot one of the best in history, 50% wide open three-point shooting and 55% half-open three-point shooting.

And G3, although their big open three-point shooting rate is an incredible 77.8%, but the shooting percentage of more half-open three-point shooting has fallen back to the world, shooting only 18.8%.

Butler did his best, but the game wasn't just about him alone.

In G3, there is actually a visible phenomenon - Butler is starting to find it harder and harder to change the Nuggets' defense.

The G2 Heat's defensive defense may have taught them something:

If the Heat dared to challenge Jokic to single to see if he could beat him, then why didn't the Nuggets dare challenge Butler to single to see if he could beat him?

So you can see that in this game, the Nuggets no longer play as much defense when Butler breaks through and singles.

Butler's two breakthroughs in the opening game, the defenders in the Nuggets' bottom corner were as steady as Tarzan, and did not take half a step away from the shooter.

These two rounds are also typical, looking at the reaction of Murray and Brown at the top of the arc in the bottom corner of the first graph, and Brown in the second picture - it is clear that the Nuggets are very sensitive to Butler's possible passing reaction when swiping the card to assist the defense today.

After the game, Aaron Gordon confirmed this himself. He said: "Before against Jimmy Butler's breakthrough, we over-assisted and Butler would give the ball to the shooters. Today we did a little better. ”

When Butler's individual offense could no longer drive the team, we clearly saw the gap between the Heat and the Nuggets in developing offensive talent — and the third quarter of the game was a concentrated manifestation.

The Nuggets attacked first, and Jokic borrowed the block to break the mid-range.

The Heat attacked first, and Strus missed a three-point shot by cover.

Then the Nuggets Gordon missed the attack.

The Heat Strus broke through and continued to fail under Jokic's interference.

Porter Jr. then countered with a missed three-pointer.

Butler singled low, split the ball in the bottom corner of Strus, and Strus again did not stick to the three.

This time, the Nuggets no longer give them a chance.

Murray's blocking attracted the Heat to a two-man trap - this was how the Heat did a good defensive effect at the end of the second quarter, but it was cracked by Murray in this round, hitting the ground and assisting Gordon's dunk.

The Heat continued to wrap up, Murray successfully cracked again, and Jokic, who bounced off the ball, broke through and scored.

In the next round, Jokic continued to block the ball 4-5 and turned over to hit a jumper.

The Nuggets lead extends to 9 points.

Butler began to maneuver, suddenly assisting Love hit a three-point shot to stop the bleeding.

Murray once again managed to crack the Heat's pocket when he created Jokic's misalignment of Vincent and Jokic hit it easily.

On the Heat's side, Vincent and Love threw two 3-pointers in a row, and Jokic chose to sink directly, fully trusting the ability of the lead defender to squeeze through the cover - Porter and Murray lived up to their trust.

The change in the Nuggets' defensive attitude can also be seen here - in the last game, they gave the opponent 20 points just by changing defensive errors (should not be changed).

Butler was forced to break through again with the ball and split the ball, this time missing a three-point shot.

Looking back, Jokic went high and the Heat had no other way but to foul - Love, who played well in the last game, this magic is no more.

Turning back, the Heat's side instigated Strus's offense to miss again.

The Nuggets showed their height advantage again under the basket, Murray had to change defenses and missed a three-point shot against Adebayo, but the Heat lacked height under the basket and was snapped up by the Nuggets on consecutive points.

The Nuggets led by 13 points.

Butler turned around and responded strongly, and the hero shot a three-point shot to stop the blood, but there was no excitement in his expression, but a tiredness and confusion - this game he carried the team forward almost from the beginning, only 16 shots in the first half, although it helped the Heat bite the score, but the consumption brought to him was visible to the naked eye.

In addition, it is very interesting to mention that in the first half, the Heat not only did not include Butler, but even took the initiative to change Murray to Butler many times, as if "inducing" Butler to play individual singles...

Looking back, the Heat were too jealous when Porter rolled and did not change defenses, and Jokic easily hit a three-point shot from the outside - Butler finally ignited a little counterattack flame, which was instantly extinguished like a scoop of cold water.

The Heat blocked and Adebayo's downside was once again sabotaged by Jokic.

Turning back Brown with cover to break through, Adebayo had to sink and delay, but Brown returned to Jokic, creating a big mismatch again, and the Heat had to foul to block.

Butler stood up again and threw himself to stop the bleeding.

But then Lowry missed a three-point shot with the ball.

The Nuggets Gordon drew the basket and assisted Braun to cut in and score.

Heat Vincent broke through missed.

Pope took Jokic to cover and blocked an easy shot.

The difference widened to 16 points.

These rounds seem to me to have little point in disassembling analysis. The situation on the field is completely self-explanatory.

The Nuggets have a huge size advantage, they can always hit the ball into the box, and they have many offensive points that the Heat have to stop through pinch shots or fouls - such as Murray, such as Gordon under the basket, such as Brown and Porter who kill inside with cover;

On the other hand, the Heat are almost the only Butler who can effectively launch the offense, they rely heavily on outside three-pointers, and they are completely unable to open up space on the court when they miss three-pointers, and they can't open up space, and role players face Jokic's frame to finish hard.

This is the epitome of the whole game.

Throughout the game, the Nuggets grabbed 25 more rebounds than the Heat and scored 58-32 inside.

"Whoever controls the rebounds controls the game."

This quote from Slam Dunk 20 years ago still seems outdated today.

After the game, Butler said he "lacked passion" tonight — of course he "lacked passion" — and when you made 16 shots in the first half and scored 12 points in a single quarter in the third quarter, and the team still trailed by 15 points, anyone would "lack passion."

On the contrary, the Nuggets' huge single-point advantage made them play easily - when the Heat did not contain Murray, Murray scored 20 points in the first half, and when they began to wrap Murray in the second half, they returned Jokic for 18 points in the second half, and the Nuggets blossomed more...

When Murray can kill on the inside and outside, how can the Nuggets prevent it? This may be an unsolvable puzzle — at least this season the Timberwolves, Suns, and Lakers have not come up with a solution, and it looks like the Heat can't do anything right now.

As we said at the beginning: the hope of the Heat is still in the confrontation.

They have to make those three-pointers, they have to be able to change the Nuggets' defense, they have to give Butler more support...

You have to admit that judging from these three games, the two games in which the Heat lost felt extremely desperate, and the one that won was full of a sense of "miracle"...

Let's look forward to seeing if the Heat can continue to do the miracle, and Spoelstra still has a few cards in his hand.