bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Agence France-Presse

The Denver Nuggets sealed their first title in franchise history, beating the Miami Heat 94-89 to end a 47-season wait for a maiden NBA championship.
Nikola Jokic scored 28 points with 16 rebounds as the Nuggets won the best-of-seven NBA Finals 4-1 to bring the Mile High City an NBA crown as a sell-out crowd roared in delight and pondered what more the young squad could achieve.
“I’ve got news for everybody out there. We’re not satisfied with one,” Michael Malone, the Nuggets coach said. “We want more.”
The championship filled the final gap in the impressive resume of Serbian star Jokic, a two-time NBA MVP and five-time All-Star centre in his eighth NBA campaign.
Two days after countryman Novak Djokovic won the French Open for his record 23rd grand slam tennis crown, Jokic was named the NBA Finals MVP.

“For us he’s the best ever of course,” Jokic said of Djokovic. “Now we have our NBA championship. It’s a really good moment to be a Serbian.”
Jokic delivered on a night when the team struggled with early shooting futility but blanked Miami for more than five minutes of the fourth quarter.
“It was amazing effort by the team,” Jokic said. “It was an ugly game. We couldn’t make shots. But at the end we figured it out, how to defend and we scored 90 points. That’s why we won. I’m just happy we won the game.
“It’s good. The job is done and we can go home now.”

Michael Porter Jnr added 16 points and 13 rebounds and Jamal Murray added 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Nuggets.
“We had the belief from the get-go,” Murray said. “It’s just great to see it through.”
“To do it with this group of guys, nothing could feel better than this,” Porter added.
Jimmy Butler led Miami with 21 points while Bam Adebayo added 20 and 12 rebounds.
Denver were top seeds in the Western Conference while the eighth-seeded Heat, who had to win a play-in game just to reach the playoffs, lost in the finals for the third time in 10 seasons.
“One hell of a basketball team that we couldn’t really find enough solutions to be able to get us over the top,” Erik Spoelstra, the Heat coach, said.

With their seasons on the line, players brought intensity and physical defending over the final minutes to create an electric atmosphere inside Ball Arena.
The Nuggets, down by as many as 10 points in the first half, pulled within 51-44 at half-time despite going one-for-15 from three-point range, the worst NBA Finals shooting half from beyond the arc.
A Murray jumper gave Denver an 81-76 lead with 6:43 remaining while the Heat began the fourth quarter hitting only two-for-14 from the floor and going scoreless for more than five minutes.
Butler, who had struggled all night, sank back-to-back threes and made three free throws after a controversial foul on Denver’s Aaron Gordon was upheld on video review.
Butler and Jokic traded hoops and Butler followed with two free throws to give Miami an 89-88 lead.

Bruce Brown answered with a rebound basket to put Denver ahead 90-89.
“Those last three or four minutes felt like a scene out of a movie,” Spoelstra said. “Two teams in the centre of the ring throwing haymaker after haymaker.
“It will probably rank as our hardest, competitive, most active defensive game of the season, and it still fell short.”
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope stole a pass by Butler and sank two clutch free throws with 24 seconds remaining to give Denver a 92-89 edge.
“For me it was all about defence,” Caldwell-Pope said. “We’ve got to get stops. Defence was going to win us a championship. I always told them that.”
Butler missed three 3-pointer, Brown grabbed a rebound for Denver and then made two free throws to seal the victory with 14 seconds remaining.


Beyond baccarat: how Sands China is driving Macau 3.0 with NBA, better infrastructure

NBA legend Tony Parker backing France to take US Olympic crown at 2028 LA Games

NBA chief plays down chances of regular-season games in Asia after multi-year Macau deal

NBA’s deal with Macau marks end of 5-year China exile, brings Nets, Suns to casino city

NBA (National Basketball Association)

Denver Nuggets win first title in franchise history, top Miami Heat in Game 5 of NBA Finals

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is presented with the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award after a 94-89 victory against the Miami Heat in Game Five of the 2023 NBA Finals. Photo: AFP

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets celebrates with his daughter Ognjena. Photo: AFP

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets speaks with media after winning the NBA Championship. Photo: AFP

Head coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat reacts with Jimmy Butler during the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Finals. Photo: AFP

Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat drives to the basket against Nikola Jokic. Photo: AFP

NBA star in Hong Kong: LeBron James may not be finished yet, and his heir has yet to appear, Damian Lillard says

LA Lakers forward LeBron James’ NBA playoff hopes end with defeat by the Denver Nuggets. Photo: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

NBA player Damian Lillard speaks during a community event with local youths in San Po Kong. Photo: Edmond So

Damian Lillard expected France to test the United States at the World Cup. Photo: Edmond So

NBA Finals Game 4: Denver Nuggets on brink of title after Aaron Gordon stars in win at Miami Heat

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (left) is defended by Miami Heat centre Bam Adebayo during Game 4. Photo: Reuters

Denver guard Jamal Murray eyes the basket during his team’s 108-95 success. Photo: AP

Nuggets guard Christian Braun defends Heat forward Caleb Martin during the second half in Miami. Photo: AP

Hong Kong Bulls to play National Basketball League season opener in Wan Chai next month

Ricky Yang (left) and Leung Shiu-wah are two of the local players playing for Hong Kong Bulls. Photos: Handout

Leung Shiu-wah has played eight seasons at local A1 Division team South China previously.

Leung Shiu-wah in action.

Ricky Yang previously played for local professional team Hong Kong Eastern.

New Hong Kong Golden Bulls side to play in China’s National Basketball League, will have home games in city

Leung Shiu-wah in action

Yung Kam Wah (left, front row), head coach of Golden Bull Hon Friends, was seen screening for mainland Chinese players in Foshan in April. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong Golden Bull head coach Liu Te.

Why Yao Ming stepped down as CBA chairman, and what it means for Chinese basketball

Chinese Basketball Association president Yao Ming is seen at the draw ceremony for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Quezon City, the Philippines, on April 29. Photo Xinhua

Yao Ming (right) has designated Xu Jicheng to succeed him in his role as CBA league company chairman. Photo: CBA

Yao Ming (sixth from right, front row) at the FIBA Asia General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur last week. Photo: FIBA

Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani stepped down as the FIBA Asia president last week. Photo: FIBA

Sport

Basketball

Nuggets come from behind to claim 94-89 win, with Nikola Jokic scoring 28 points
Championship fills gap in resume of impressive Serbian star, who is named Finals MVP


Nuggets come from behind to claim 94-89 win in Game 5, with Finals MVP Nikola Jokic scoring 28 points.


eBay

Denver Nuggets win first title in franchise history, top Miami Heat in Game 5 of NBA Finals

Nuggets come from behind to claim 94-89 win, with Nikola Jokic scoring 28 points Championship fills gap in resume of impressive Serbian star, who is named Finals MVP

Nuggets come from behind to claim 94-89 win, with Nikola Jokic scoring 28 points

Championship fills gap in resume of impressive Serbian star, who is named Finals MVP