Nuggets keep poise after Nikola Jokic's 5th foul, win Game 4 of NBA Finals - ESPN
ESPN MIAMI -- When Nikola Jokic was forced out of the game with his fifth foul with over nine minutes remaining in Game 4, the Denver Nuggets were staring at the most pivotal stretch they would ever play without their two-time MVP.
Head coach Michael Malone described the typical non-Jokic minutes for the Nuggets as "a crapshoot," putting his hands over his face and pretending to peek through his fingers to describe how precarious those moments have been this season.
But on Friday, the Nuggets turned what could have been the longest five-plus minutes of their season into one that put the franchise a victory away from its first NBA championship.
With Jokic watching for a five-minute, 15-second stretch, Jamal Murray orchestrated the Nuggets' offense. He stymied any double teams that came his way, setting up teammates for key baskets as the Nuggets fended off every Miami Heat challenge to win 108-95, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.
