Takeaways From Miami Heat's Loss Against Denver Nuggets In Game 4

The Denver Nuggets had three players score 20-plus points to lead them to a victory against the Miami Heat

The Denver Nuggets once again dominated the Miami Heat.

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo did all they could do to get the victory but couldn’t stop the Nuggets. Three Nuggets players scored 20-plus points to grab a 3-1 series lead as the series shifts back to Denver, where the Nuggets are 9-1 in the playoffs.

Here are some takeaways from the game:

-As usual, Butler had a great offensive game. He finished with 25 points and shot the ball well. But what stood out was his improvement with on-ball defense, particularly against Jamal Murray. When a screen occurred near Butler, he got around it and stayed on Murray, who finished with a series-low 15 points.

-Kevin Love’s performance was a surprise. He only played 18 minutes but finished with 12 points, nine of them in the third quarter. He also had three 3-pointers, the most since Game 1 of the first round.

-The Heat continue to have horrible second-half performances. They shot below 30 percent from the field for a second straight night while Butler was the only one who scored in double-figures with 11 points. It could be the result of the low energy they projected after halftime. They seemed worn out and even uninterested on defense at times.

-Adebayo had an interesting game. He contributed on offense with 20 points and even grabbed 11 rebounds. However, his production in the second half declined. He scored eight points and shot 25 percent from the field. He also couldn’t take care of the ball, committing a playoff-high seven turnovers.

-The Heat’s bench performed much better than last game. Caleb Martin, Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson combined for 36 points, all shooting above 40 percent. The only scoreless reserves were Cody Zeller and Haywood Highsmith.

-While Butler figured out how to limit Murray’s scoring, Adebayo finally figured Jokic out in the second half. After allowing Jokic to score 16 points in the first, he had just seven in the second. Granted, Jokic was playing with a minor ankle injury but Adebayo’s second-half defense was noticeable.

-After a few great games by Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, they still struggle. Vincent scored just two points in the third quarter when Strus went scoreless the whole game. The Heat might want to consider placing Lowry in the starting lineup.k

Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog HERE.