Nuggets showing poise on the cusp of history

MIAMI — The Denver Nuggets act like they’ve been here before.

There is an unmistakable poise to the Nuggets, who are only one win away from their first NBA championship and could hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy as early as Monday night when the finals return to Denver for Game 5. Their stars have been starry in their first finals appearance. Their role players have delivered. There hasn’t been a colossal blunder. And even on the cusp of a title, they refuse to change their approach.

“We need to win one more,” two-time MVP Nikola Jokic said.

That’s the Nuggets. Simple. Effective. Blunt.

With Jokic and Jamal Murray leading the way, and with basically a different person stepping up to be the third hero every night so far for the Nuggets, they have the Miami Heat in serious trouble now. They lead the finals 3-1 and with potentially two of the next three games — if needed — in Denver.

“We get an opportunity to play a super competitive game in a great environment," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That’s going to be an awesome environment. Our guys are built for that. They love that. … Yeah, we understand what the narrative will be, but that’s the way it is with our team.”

History says this series is pretty much over; only one team in NBA history has dug its way out of such a hole in the finals, that being the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers against the Golden State Warriors. Heat forward Kevin Love played for that Cleveland team.

“Forget the game,” Love said. “It’s just one possession, one quarter, half by half. Just get it done by any means necessary