"This is not preseason, this is the NBA Finals", says Denver Nuggets coach after defeat in Game 2

Denver [US], June 6 : Denver Nuggets were defeated by Miami Heat 111-108 in the NBA Finals at the Ball Arena in Denver on Monday. Following the defeat, Denver Nuggets's coach Michael Malone said it was not the pre-season but the NBA Finals and we didn't play well.
After Miami Heat's win in Game 2, the series seven-match series is now tied at 1-1. Miami Heat will be looking to build up upon their win and try to win the remaining matches of the series.
In the post-match conference, Malone said, "Tonight, the starting lineup to start the game, it was 10-2 Miami. Start of the third quarter, they scored 11 points in [just over two minutes]. We had guys out there that were just, whether feeling sorry for themselves for not making shots or 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. That, to me, is really, really perplexing, disappointing", as per the official website of the NBA.
He further added, "We are talking about effort. That's a huge concern of mine. You guys probably thought I was just making up some storyline after Game 1 when I said we didn't play well. We didn't play well", according to the official website of NBA.
Denver Nuggets player, Nikola Jokic displayed a brilliant performance as he scored 41 points for his team.
As per the official website of the NBA, in the post-match conference, Nikola Jokic said, "They just put us in their rhythm, and we didn't want to play that way, and they want to, obviously. But maybe just to play a little bit faster is going to help us."
In the first set, Miami Heat came strong as they took their chances and kept on scoring. Denver Nuggets were caught off guard and didn't start the match well. Miami Heat won the first set, the score at the end of the first set was 26-23.
In the second set, Denver Nuggets roared back, their attacking play was completely changed and their tempo was very high. Miami Heat did play well but Denver Nuggets were dominating them in every aspect. Denver Nuggets won the second quarter. The score in the second quarter of the match was 34-25.
The third set was very tight for both teams. Denver Nuggets built on their momentum from the second set as they scored crucial points in the third set. From the Miami Heat's point of view, the third quarter was decent for them. Denver Nuggets won the third quarter of the match, the score at the end of the quarter was 26-24.
Coming in the fourth quarter, Denver Nuggets were leading in the match and were looking to seal the game with another win but Miami Heat had other plans in their mind.
Miami Heat went all out and scored vital points in the last quarter of the match. They kept on attacking which eventually gave them positive results. Miami Heat won the last quarter of the match by a big margin. The score at the end of the quarter was 36-25.
The final score at the end of the match was 111-108, Miami Heat won the game by just three points.
Miami Heat's player, Jimmy Butler scored 21 points with four rebounds and nine assists. Gabe Vincent scored 23 points and gave three assists. Bam Adebayo netted 21 points with nine rebounds and four assists.
Denver Nuggets player Nikola Jokic gave an outstanding performance for his team but his efforts went in vain as his team lost the match. Nikola Jokic scored 41 points with 11 rebounds and four assists. Jamal Murray netted 18 points with four rebounds and 10 assists.
Game 3 of the NBA Final between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat will be played on Thursday.