On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, JJ Redick and Jay Williams recap Game 3 of the 2023 NBA Finals, where the Denver Nuggets took a 2-1 series lead against the Miami Heat.
0:00 Stephen A.’s first take
1:30 JJ credits Jamal Murray
3:00 Nikola Jokic or Jamal Murray?
6:30 JWill is struggling with this…
8:30 Any truth to Jimmy Butler’s comments?
#ESPN #FirstTake
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46 Comments
Basically, Miami Heat needs to be perfect over 4 quarters to beat Denver. Denver does not need to be perfect.
Way back in hairline i mean time i thought nuggets would sweep
Bam has to step up. He has to average triple doubles like Jokic, which just isnt easy. Jokic is a giant. Not taking anything from Miami, but thats just how it is, and Murray is super underrated in this league.
I'm just the type who believes that anything and anyone can be surmounted if I am given enough time to think about it.
I love the Stephen a JJ combo. They compliment each other so well & they disagree all the time. I also like watching perk with JJ because Perk looks like he wants to murder JJ at all times 😂🤣😂🤣… and Jay Williams has always been awesome.
The jimmy is not Jamal take by SAS is wild to me.. jamal is great but put him on the heat and they dont make it past the first round
I'm glad Jokic is DOMINATING the playoffs because the center position has been absolute because of small ball and the 3 pt shot
Stephens. A’s take is pedestrian. ….. Uhhh ! No teams all year had no real answers for the “joker“.
The Heat being the underdogs have to play near flawless basketball for 48 minutes everygame just to have a shot at winning this series…good thing they barely won in game 2 or the the Nuggets would have been up 3-0 after game 3 🤯
Murray/Jokic remind me of the 2001 Shaq/Kobe = perfect merge of inside and outside dominance and offensively they are what the Pop Duncan Spurs were defensively, boring but effective.
Jokic Murray putting up 2k23 # 🤝🤦
Stephan A just completely rambling, can't put together a good reason😂😂 whereas JJ and Jay make perfect sense
Buuuuut he picked Miami to win game 3 before the game. These "experts ".
You can't hack a shaq him, he'll make the FT. You can't double or triple team, he will make the pass. You can't even leave him open for a mid range jumper or 3. One of the most unguardable players in NBA history
This has been obvious for……. 3 yrs now? Cmon espn hoe!!
Lowry cant make no floaters I see 8 opportunities last night that he pass up.🤦
Jokic is the best player in the world because he plays fundamental high IQ basketball he doesn't play that nonsense AAU style of basketball that Kobe the man himself said has ruined the game maybe that's why a fat white chubby guy out of Europe is the best player in the world cuz he plays the game the right way.
asmith say game 3 miami win .. now he say bla bla bla .. dont talk to much bald head .. ur not even a basketball player .. or an ex nba player .
Did he also say heat were getting swept ?
It took Dwight Howard + AD to beat him. Nuff said.
He’s that good
Nuggets are the better team period…it ain't over yet don't count miami out
Jokic is a genius. He barelly jumps and he seems to apply little strength (sure Jokic is strong as a bull) to get all those rebounds and points. I mean he is like a Jedi. I love watching Jokic play.
In the future JJ and Jay Wills will have their own show
The Nugs had an advantage against the Heat the whole Finals
Jokic runs through Rudy gobert and Kat. Runs through KD and Ayton. Runs through AD and lebron. And now Bam. Him winning two mvps is because he’s white right?? Put respect on his name. Imagine Shaq, Hakeem and all them in todays game. They will dominate
They have no answer for Jamal Murray realistically
Let's be real. No team has an answer for Nikola Jokic
Jokic isn't even the problem…every time Denver has convincingly won it seems Jamal Murray goes off
When I saw that MPJ was healthy mentally and MJ I knew 👑🤡💍 Nuggets 💯💪
It must be weird for players like Murray to drop a 30pt triple double & have it dn dismissed
Jokic 2023 Playoffs EASILY 1 of GOAT!
#1 in ALL Playoffs in
POINTS
ASSISTS
REBOUNDS
(1st player EVER to have most POINTS ASSISTS REBOUNDS in single playoff! Wilt Russell Kareem Moses Bird Hakeem Shaq Duncan LeBron 5x the only others to lead in 2 of 3!)
WIN SHARES
PER
BPM
WS/48
Last 3 years in what easily could of been 3 straight MVPs he AVERAGED
26, 12, 9, 2stocks on insane 59/37/83, best analytics by far, best on/off by far!
He’s undoubtedly Top5-25 somewhere in terms of what he’s done from 20-28 years old from an individual accomplishment stand point, statistically, playoff riser, analytically, all around game.
It’s a TEAM game boys that’s why Jokic only had 1 WCF before 28 years old. He was still an awesome 26, 12, 6, 2stocks 52/40/82 in nearly 50 playoff games. Murray been hurt last 2 playoffs as was MPJ last year. They had no bench. Even this series they still could lose if KCP MPJ continue to shoot 20% from 3 instead of their normal 40% (they’re 5-26 so far from 3 or they’re up 3-0 if they are their normal 10-26 to 12-26 selfs!). MJ first 6 Playoffs was 24-29 in playoff games and never made a finals also. Was 0-5 vs Celtics Pistons even though he was mostly elite in playoffs. TEAMS win titles not individual players!
If KCP MJP were their normal 10-26 to 12-26 from 3 selfs in Finals instead of horrid 5-26 Nuggets up 3-0 right now!
Jimmy Butler is overrated Period
At 7:34 he says Christian Braun is 6'4". Braun is 6'6". So much for the "experts."
Jokic 2023 Playoffs EASILY 1 of GOAT!
#1 in ALL Playoffs in
POINTS
ASSISTS
REBOUNDS
(1st player EVER to have most POINTS ASSISTS REBOUNDS in single playoff! Wilt Russell Kareem Moses Bird Hakeem Shaq Duncan LeBron 5x the only others to lead in 2 of 3!)
WIN SHARES
PER
BPM
WS/48
Last 3 years in what easily could of been 3 straight MVPs he AVERAGED
26, 12, 9, 2stocks on insane 59/37/83, best analytics by far, best on/off by far!
He’s undoubtedly Top5-25 somewhere in terms of what he’s done from 20-28 years old from an individual accomplishment stand point, statistically, playoff riser, analytically, all around game.
It’s a TEAM game boys that’s why Jokic only had 1 WCF before 28 years old. He was still an awesome 26, 12, 6, 2stocks 52/40/82 in nearly 50 playoff games. Murray been hurt last 2 playoffs as was MPJ last year. They had no bench. Even this series they still could lose if KCP MPJ continue to shoot 20% from 3 instead of their normal 40% (they’re 5-26 so far from 3 or they’re up 3-0 if they are their normal 10-26 to 12-26 selfs!). MJ first 6 Playoffs was 24-29 in playoff games and never made a finals also. Was 0-5 vs Celtics Pistons even though he was mostly elite in playoffs. TEAMS win titles not individual players!
If KCP MJP were their normal 10-26 to 12-26 from 3 selfs in Finals instead of horrid 5-26 Nuggets up 3-0 right now!
Clown Skip trying to minimize how ILLmatic Jokic is. “He was pretty good in first half” 14, 12, 7 at half is not pretty good it’s GREAT! Any half that you double that gives you 28 24 14 is an awesome half. Playoff Murray is great as well! Their one of the illest duos ever!
We just don’t care about Denver
Eat crow Stephanie all year long you ridiculed the joker.., you and fat perk said how many times padding the stats while you promoted embiid… where’s the mvp…, watching the true mvp play in the finals.., Stephanie a … fat perk… you are the jokes
You can't limit Jamal, Jamal can only limit himself.
People are now going to see on the biggest stage that Jokic is the best player in the NBA
Jokic is the best passing big period. Adding to that, congrats to the Nuggets championship run.
Nobody has had a answer for Joker this whole playoff run
It’s hilarious. Rewind back to the comments after game 2. These guys flip and flop more than a drunk virgin on prom night😂
Effort wasn't an issue for the Heat. When those two guys are on there isn't much u can do. Slow down one & u have a chance, if not it's game over.
Heat are done
All Miami has is grit, but if none of the undrafted guys show up, its over. If they don't pull this off its proof pedigree matters, undrafted can only get you so far, this many on the active roster is almost reckless. When is Herro coming back? Kid out every year, he's almost as bad as Zion.
Nobody does
The same narrative
next game when the heat win : Are the nuggets in trouble? 😂 💀