This is an excerpt from The Buzzer, which is CBC Sports' daily email newsletter. Stay up to speed on what's happening in sports by subscribing here. For the second year in a row, a key Canadian sidekick has helped an all-time great win an NBA championship.
Last June, versatile Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins played a critical role in Steph Curry's fourth title. This time, Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray played the Robin to Nikola Jokic's Batman as he and the two-time MVP captured their first Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Jokic capped one of the most impressive playoff runs in history last night by scoring 28 points, with 16 rebounds and four assists to lead the Nuggets to a gritty 94-89 win over Miami that delivered Denver its first NBA title in a tidy five games.
The near-seven-foot Serbian centre with the soul of a point guard was the obvious choice for Finals MVP after nearly averaging a triple-double for the entire playoffs — 30 points, 13.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists.