Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Finals nearly ended very differently on Monday night.
With the game and the Heat’s season hanging in the balance, Jimmy Butler launched a fourth-quarter 3-pointer as Miami trailed by four points with just over three minutes to go.
After the shot clanked off the front rim, a foul was called on Denver forward Aaron Gordon — sending Butler to the line and the broadcast booth, the Nuggets’ bench, and the Ball Arena crowd into hysterics.
Not only did the contact from Gordon appear to be minimal, but Butler also seemed to kick out his leg in an attempt to draw the foul after he released the shot.
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone almost instantly decided to use his coach’s challenge, and ESPN’s broadcast booth was quick to assume the call would be overturned.
The referees stuck to the initial call, however, awarding Butler three free throws that he sunk, bringing the Heat within one point.
Though Butler struggled from the field throughout the game, ending the contest shooting 5-for-18, the foul was an exclamation point on Butler’s last-ditch effort to save the Heat’s season, in which he scored 13 consecutive points for Miami.
Ultimately, the foul call would not end up mattering — Denver took the lead for good after a Bruce Brown offensive rebound and putback with 1:31 remaining.
The Nuggets effectively closed out the game following a Butler turnover and a missed 3-pointer in the final seconds.
The 94-89 victory gave the Nuggets their first championship in franchise history, besting the Heat in five games with a scrappy, defensive game.
The Nuggets ran through the playoffs at 16-4, only getting pushed to a Game 6 by the Suns in the Western Conference semifinals.
Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic was awarded NBA Finals MVP following a heroic series, in which he averaged 30 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists.
He became the first player in NBA history to lead the playoffs in points, rebounds, and assists.
Butler finished the series averaging 21 points, four rebounds, and six assists per game.