Jamal Murray: When Nuggets Play How We Want It Doesn't Matter What Opponent Does

After the Denver Nuggets cruised to a 104-93 win over the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals on Thursday night, they are rightfully feeling confident.

Star point guard Jamal Murray told reporters after the win that the Nuggets know how much they can dominate no matter who their opponent is.

"Once we play the way we play, it doesn't really matter what the other team does," Murray said.

Murray finished with 26 points and 10 assists in the victory, which saw five Denver players score in double figures. Star center Nikola Jokić had an impressively efficient triple-double with 27 points on 8-of-12 shooting, 14 assists and 10 rebounds.

The Heat were on the ropes from the opening tip as the Nuggets relentlessly attacked the rim. Aaron Gordon scored 12 of his 16 points in the first quarter, taking advantage of smaller defenders in the paint. Michael Porter Jr. added 14 points and 13 rebounds in the win.

Denver shot 50.6 from the field in the game after shooting 59.5 percent in the first half. The team led by as many as 24 points before Miami cut into the lead late in the fourth quarter. Despite having more shot attempts (96) than the Nuggets (79), the Heat simply couldn't keep up with the offensive flurry.

With the win, Denver remained undefeated at home in the 2023 playoffs. This also marked the first time Miami lost a Game 1 in this year's postseason. It's clear that the Nuggets are motivated to prove that earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference this year was not a fluke.

Denver and Miami will meet again at Ball Arena for Game 2 on Sunday night.