Heat coach Erik Spoelstra wasn’t worried.
After watching guard Max Strus go 0-for-10 in Miami’s loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Spoelstra remained calm. He didn’t think Strus needed a pep talk to regain his rhythm. Thursday’s performance was simply a case of the ball not falling in.
“We’ve been through this before. (Strus is) ignitable,” Spoelstra said, snapping his fingers.
In Game 2 on Sunday, Strus found his shooting touch. He and guard Gabe Vincent were red-hot, recording eight of Miami’s 17 3-pointers to beat the Nuggets, 111-108, to even the series while handing Denver its first postseason loss at home.
Strus set the tone in the first. He scored 12 of his 14 points in the opening quarter while knocking down a pair of 3-pointers during Miami’s early 10-2 lead.
Strus finished the night shooting 4-for-10 from deep.
“Max coming out like that was huge,” Heat guard Duncan Robinson said. “When he hit those shots, it settled everyone (down). From there it was about chipping away.”
Spoelstra called Strus a “winning player.” No matter what he asks Strus to do, the guard will do it. “He’s physical, he’s in the right spots, he’s a great block-out guy. He’s also a guy that will come in and help rebound,” Spoelstra said.
On Sunday, the Heat needed his outside shooting, and he delivered.
While Strus helped create momentum early, Vincent — who finished with a team-high 23 points on 8 for 12 shooting —was essential to Miami pulling away in the second half. The Nuggets kept leaving Vincent open, and he didn’t hesitate to make them pay for their defensive breakdowns.
Trailing by six points at the start of the third, Vincent received a pass from Heat guard Jimmy Butler before draining a 3-pointer. Two minutes later, Denver trapped Butler at the baseline when he kicked the ball to Vincent on the wing, where he buried a wide-open 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 64-62.
In the fourth, Miami was down by two points when Vincent’s fourth 3-pointer gave his team a 86-85 lead and jump-started a 9-2 scoring run.
“This year, he’s been a starter for us. He’s been great. He’s off the bench, he’s been great,” Spoelstra said. “He’s like a lot of our guys (with) the competitive spirit.”
Vincent has been consistent through two games, averaging 21 points per game. He credited his success to being aggressive and finding his spots on the floor.
Heat guard Jimmy Butler said the team has the utmost confidence in Vincent to not only make shots but to run the offense.
“We live with the decisions and the shots that he makes and takes,” Butler said. “He’s our starting PG for a reason.”
Want more Nuggets news? Sign up for the Nuggets Insider to get all our NBA analysis.
