What led to the Miami Heat's game against the Denver Nuggets getting out of hand?

Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets: How the Game Got Out of Hand

On Wednesday night, the Miami Heat suffered a 122-112 defeat to the Denver Nuggets. The scoreline does not fully capture the extent of the Heat losing control, which largely happened in the first half and set the tone for the rest of the game.

Key Reasons for Miami Heat's Struggles

Rebounding Disparity

Heading into the game, the Heat were facing a tough challenge, having lost their last ten regular-season matchups against the Nuggets and missing their top scorer, Tyler Herro. Meanwhile, the Nuggets were arguably at their strongest in the Nikola Jokic era. The pivotal issue was the rebounding gap in the first half, which sealed Miami’s fate early on.

This translated into an offensive rating of 123.6 for the Nuggets, which would rank first in the NBA, versus 111.1 for the Heat, ranking 25th league-wide. Overcoming such a possession deficit, especially against a top championship contender featuring the best big man in the league, made it nearly impossible for the Heat to regain control.

Nikola Jokic’s Impact

Despite the challenges, Nikola Jokic dominated the Heat, scoring 33 points efficiently, further demonstrating why Denver held the upper hand during the game.

“It’s extremely difficult to overcome that significant of a difference in the possession battle against anybody, but especially against a legitimate championship contender that features the best big man (and perhaps player) in the world.”

Ultimately, the combination of Miami missing key players and Denver's control of rebounds and possessions led to a game that spiraled out of the Heat's reach early on.

Summary

The Miami Heat’s loss to the Denver Nuggets was largely determined by Denver’s dominance in rebounding and possessions from the first half, making it impossible for Miami to regain momentum despite the final score being competitive.

Author’s summary: The Heat’s inability to contest rebounds and possessions decisively handed control to the Nuggets early, dooming Miami’s chances against a top-tier team led by Nikola Jokic.

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Sports Illustrated Sports Illustrated — 2025-11-06

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