At the home of the Denver Nuggets it is the duo made up of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray who often receive the attention of the media, but in the success of game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat there is the signature of all 7/8 athletes rotated by coach Malone, starting with an excellent Aaron Gordon.
The versatile ex-Arizona forward seems to have found the right dimension in Colorado, with coaches and teammates competing to enhance his contribution on both sides of the field night after night.
In Game 1 Gordon also started strong on offense, with 12 of his 16 total points in the first quarter, taking advantage of the extra attention of his opponents for Jokic. On defense, however, he was mainly responsible for Jimmy Butler’s just 13 points, the minimum of this postseason.
“I’m not here to take credit. I’m here for the wins,” explains Gordon. “Being able to play together with guys like that is a great fortune…
It’s a wonderful opportunity to play with guys who have so much talent, so many skills and so much passion for the game of basketball.
“It’s what I’ve always loved: playing basketball the right way, and here at the Nuggets we do just that. I don’t care if I score 50 or 0 points, I just need to have an impact on the game and win.”