Nikola Jokic gives historic performance in Denver's game 3 NBA Finals win

We're going to pivot now to sports. The Denver Nuggets have taken the upper hand in the NBA finals. That's right. They beat the Heat 109 to 94 in Miami last night. Denver star Nikola Jovic became the first player in NBA history to record 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists in a finals game. Miami will host game four tomorrow night. Joining us now is Avery Johnson. He's a former NBA point guard and head coach. Avery's also an analyst for CBS Sports. And we're so glad to have you here. So Avery, let's talk about Jokic and how the Nuggets bounced back from their game two loss to the Heat. Well, the Nuggets bounced back because their coach, Coach Malone, challenged him. Remember, he was really upset in the post-game press conference after game two and said that his team didn't play with any competitive spirit. They didn't communicate well. That's why they had so many breakdowns on defense. Not nearly as many breakdowns on defense in game three. And then both of their superstars had a triple-double for the first time in history in the NBA finals. Both of those guys shot the ball extremely well. But when you have those type of performances from both of your superstars, and then combined with Christian Brown coming off the bench with 15 points, it was too much in terms of the Denver Nuggets, both offensively and defensively. And the efficiency of what they played with was too much for the Miami Heat to overcome. Yeah, a double, triple, double. I mean, wow. And Avery, let's talk more about how that was made possible. I mean, you're a former point guard. So as you point out, with Jamal Murray recording a triple-double, that's significant. We also saw some great minutes from their rookie, Christian Brown. How has Denver built such a well-balanced roster, do you think? Well, first it starts with the draft. When you can draft guys like Jokic in the second round, and then Jamal Murray. Michael Porter Jr. hasn't played well in the NBA finals. And then you add key pieces like Katavia Caldwell-Pope to the team. And you draft Brown out of Kansas after he won a championship with the Kansas Jayhawks. It's just a combination of having an eye for talent when you look at the Nuggets front office. And then giving their coach, Coach Malone, time to grow into his head coaching job with the Nuggets. He's been a head coach before. But a lot of times when you're not successful after a year, two or three coaches normally get fired. But give the Nuggets front office and ownership credit for being patient. So patience and having a great eye for talent and allowing that talent to marinate a little bit. And simmer. And they're starting to taste good. I guess I'm hungry right now. Talking about food. All right, Avery. Tomorrow, game four. What are you expecting to see? Wow. It's hard to count out the Miami Heat. They've always bounced back just when you least expect it. Can the Denver Nuggets come out with their two superstars and have triple doubles again? And remember now, this game was within 11 points with about a minute and 40 left. So we'll see the Miami Heat bounce back, respond. Kevin Love has to play better. You know, they inserted Kevin Love into the starting lineup. He's got to knock down some threes. We'll see if Tyler Herro plays. That's why I'm waiting to figure out if Tyler Herro is going to come back from his injury. They can utilize him because they need other players that can put the ball on the floor. But I'm looking for another competitive game. If I had to pick a team today, I'm going to pick the Miami Heat. But we'll see what happens overnight. See who's available, who's healthy, ready to go. I may change my pick on tomorrow. I have to come back on your show tomorrow. But you know what, Avery? I like the finals when they're close, when it's not a blowout, and where you can't anticipate who's going to run away with it. So thanks for joining us. I hope you eat soon, Avery Johnson. Thanks for being with us. Thanks.