The Denver Nuggets, the defending NBA champions, upset the Miami Heat 100-88 on Wednesday to take the top spot in the Western Conference rankings thanks to 25 points from Michael Porter Jr.
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In a low-scoring match between the NBA Finals rivals from the previous season, Denver led for the majority of the first half before the Heat pulled ahead with a third-quarter comeback, but the Nuggets eventually took back the lead.
With just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Reggie Jackson made a 26-foot step-back three-pointer to give the Nuggets a 10-point lead (94–84), helping Denver pull away.
A disciplined defensive effort by Miami limited Nuggets star Nikola Jokic to just 12 points, but that merely created more room for Porter Jr., who hit five three-pointers in a 9-of-16 shooting performance.
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Porter Jr. credited his teammates for creating the time and space necessary for him to shoot freely for his outstanding performance.
“Have you noticed the gunfire I was receiving? Porter Jr. told ESPN, “They were wide open threes, so it is really my teammates, all credit to them.”
We have a strong, well-rounded team, so if anything is taken away, there are still options. That was the situation that night.
Gallery: Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat | March 13, 2024, Wednesday | Miami Herald
Denver improved to 46-20 with their fourth straight win, half a game ahead of Oklahoma City at the top of the Western Conference.
Denver has been at the top of the standings for the first time since November, which may indicate that Michael Malone’s team is peaking at the right time as they aim for the top playoff seed.
Returning to the top rank, Porter Jr. added, “feels good.”
We seem to be back where we should be. We have been playing well since the All-Star break, and we wanted to be the top seed.
“But we have to hang on, because the West has a lot of good teams, so we have to play every game with the awareness that there are teams vying for our spot.”
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Aaron Gordon, who scored 16 points, and Jamal Murray, who scored 14, provided Porter Jr. some scoring assistance.
With 17 points, Bam Adebayo topped the Miami scorers. After losing four games in a row, the Heat now sit seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 35-30 record.
In other games, the Orlando Magic defeated the Brooklyn Nets 114-106 to maintain their momentum towards a postseason berth.
Seven Magic players scored in double figures on the night, with Paolo Banchero leading Orlando with 21 points. Cam Thomas led Brooklyn in scoring with 21 points.
After defeating the New Orleans Pelicans, who came into the game on a four-game winning streak, Cleveland won 116-95 to move up to second place in the Eastern Conference, ahead of Milwaukee.
Darius Garland led the Cavaliers in scoring with 27 points. Georges Niang and Jarrett Allen scored 16 and 17, respectively.