NBA Finals: Is Denver In Trouble? Shaq Thinks So As Miami Heat Tie Series 1-1, Nuggets Coach Worried, And Could Tyler Herro Return?

What looked like a sweep by the Denver Nuggets, or maybe just five games for the title just last week, suddenly looks like a real NBA Finals series.

The No. 8 seed Miami Heat continued to defy the odds and overachieve as it refused to die in Game 2 Sunday night in Denver in coming back for a 111-108 victory.

Shaquille O'Neal before Game 1 of the NBA Finals in Denver last Thursday. (Photo by Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

"Denver may be in trouble," NBA television analyst and former Lakers' superstar Shaquille O'Neal said after the game. "Jimmy Butler was not the leading scorer for Miami. What if he goes back to Miami and goes crazy?"

O'Neal won three NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000, '01 and '02 and won one with the Heat in 2006.

Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler Just Getting Warmed Up?

O'Neal made a good point. Butler came into the NBA Finals having led the Heat in scoring 15 times in the playoffs with a 28.5 average. He tied such players as LeBron James and the late Kobe Bryant for most times leading his playoff team in scoring going into the finals. But Butler dipped to his 2023 playoffs-low 13 in the Heat's Game 1 loss to Denver on Thursday. Butler scored 21 on Sunday night as did Bam Adeboyou, but Gabe Vincent led the way with 23.

Game 3 will be Wednesday in Miami (8:30 p.m., ABC). Butler went "crazy" and poured in 56 in an opening round win over Milwaukee on April 24.

Denver also showed a weakness Sunday night in not putting the Heat away. The Nuggets led 57-51 at the half and 83-75 entering the fourth quarter.

"You can't let these guys hang around," O'Neal's TV partner Charles Barkley said. "Shaq called it the other night."

Denver Nuggets Had Dominated With Leads

The Nuggets were 11-0 in the playoffs when leading by double digits at any point. They were 37-1 when entering the final period up by at least eight. But the Heat outscored them 17-5 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter and took control.

"When it comes down to the wire, we're strangely comfortable," Vincent said. The Heat tied the 1999 New York Knicks for most playoff wins in a season as a No. 8 seed with their 13th.

It was Denver's first home loss since March 30.

Miami Heat Hold Nikola Jokic To 4 Assists

Miami also made Nikola Jokic look strangely uncomfortable even though he scored 41. Jokic managed just four assists - his lowest total of the playoffs.

Denver coach Michael Malone sounded worried after the game.

Miami Heat Has Denver Nuggets Coach Concerned

"Let's talk about effort," he said. "I mean this is the NBA Finals, and we're talking about effort. That's a huge concern of mine. You guys thought I was just making up some storyline after Game One when I said we didn't play well. We didn't play well. To start the third quarter, they scored 11 points in two minutes and 10 seconds. We had guys out there thinking they can just turn it on or off. This is not the preseason. This is not the regular season. This is the NBA Finals, and that to me is really perplexing, disappointing."

And don't look now, but Miami guard Tyler Herro could be back soon from his broken hand suffered in Game 1 of the Heat's opening playoff series against Milwaukee. Herro played 2-on-2 Saturday and is trying to get back for the final series.