Norman Powell, Heat bench dominate Jokic-less Nuggets

Alta Sports3 months ago · 296 views

Norman Powell, Heat bench dominate Jokic-less Nuggets image

Photo: Getty Images

By Rafael Bandayrel

The Miami Heat handed the Denver Nuggets a second straight loss, 147-123, during their 2025-26 NBA regular season matchup on Tuesday morning (PH time) at Kaseya Center.

Norman Powell was the Heat’s leading scorer once again, producing 25 points to anchor a prolific offensive performance. Nikola Jovic poured in 22, Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 20, while Kel’el Ware and Andrew Wiggins each chipped in 19 in a balanced effort for the home side.

The contest was a see-saw affair early on, with the two teams deadlocked at 63 apiece at halftime. However, the complexion of the game shifted dramatically when Denver superstar Nikola Jokic exited the game before the second half due to an apparent knee injury. Without their primary option, the Nuggets struggled to keep pace with Miami's high-octane offense.

The Heat seized the opportunity in the third quarter, creating significant separation and pushing the lead to double digits heading into the final frame. Miami showed no signs of letting up in the fourth, banking on their league-leading pace to further widen the gap.

As the Nuggets' offense stalled without Jokic, the Heat turned the pressure up even more, eventually extending the advantage to a game-high 27 points. Denver, unable to find a secondary scoring punch to match Miami's depth, never seriously threatened the lead in the closing minutes.

The victory pushed the Heat to 18-15 as they prepare for a tough test tomorrow against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons. Meanwhile, the Nuggets (22-10) will look for updates on Jokic's status as they aim to snap their two-game skid.

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