Denver Nuggets beat the Miami Heat to win their first NBA title

Led by 28 points from Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets beat the Miami Heat 94-89 on Monday (Jun 12), bringing the first National Basketball Association (NBA) title to Mile High City.

With a raucous capacity crowd packed into Ball Arena ready to celebrate, the Nuggets ended a 47-year championship wait by taking the best-of-seven series 4-1.

Once again, the Nuggets were led by Jokic, with the Serbian big man getting a double-double of 28 points and 16 rebounds while Michael Porter Jr contributed 16 points and 13 rebounds.

The eighth-seeded Heat had defied the odds throughout the post-season, taking out the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, but the challenge facing them on Monday was a near impossible one.

Of the 36 teams that have fallen behind 3-1 in an NBA Finals, only one, the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers team, came back to claim the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

Making the task even more daunting, Ball Arena has been a virtual fortress for the Nuggets, who were 9-1 at home during the postseason.

That one loss came against Miami in game two.

Jokic was named the Finals Most Valuable Player after the game.