The Denver Nuggets continue to stand as an insurmountable challenge for the Miami Heat, exposing glaring weaknesses that cannot be ignored (The Nuggets have won 10 regular season matchups in a row vs Miami and also beat Miami 4-1 in the 2023 NBA Finals).

The Denver Nuggets (25-16) routed the Miami Heat (20-20) and ruined Jimmy Butler's return in a 133-113 finish Friday night. Here’s a look at four major takeaways from the matchup: 1. Jimmy Butler was much more engaged It was not difficult for Butler's return from his seven-game suspension to be a massive improvement over his previous two starts.

The Nuggets vanquished the Heat in Jimmy Butler’s return from a seven-game suspension. Jamal Murray lit up everything in front of him. And Nikola Jokić had his 17th triple-double of the season. “I thought our guards did a hell of a job on [Tyler] Herro and [Duncan] Robinson,

MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler returned to the Miami Heat as planned on Friday, going through the team’s walkthrough in advance of their game against the Denver Nuggets ( 8 ET, League Pass ).

Miami Heat forward Kevin Love made it clear Thursday he’s excited about Jimmy Butler’s impending comeback. Others in the Heat organization apparently disagree. ESPN NBA insider Ramona Shelburne reported Friday there is a “palpable dread” ahead of Butler’s return from a seven-game suspension.

Nuggets Top Performers Nikola Jokić: 24 points (9-12 FG), 12 rebounds, 10 assists Nikola Jokić totals his 18th career triple double on at least 75% shooting, tying Wilt Chamberlain for most in NBA history Jamal Murray: 30 points,