After three quarters, the Denver Nuggets were on their way to a 2-0 series lead in the NBA Finals. Denver led by as many as 15 points in this game and took an eight-point lead into the fourth.

However, the Miami Heat would outscore the Nuggets 36-25 in the fourth and defeat the Nuggets 111-108 on Sunday night in Denver.

The series is tied at one, and Game 3 will be Wednesday night in Miami.

The Heat’s comeback started when they inserted Duncan Robinson to start the fourth; he went on a personal 8-0 run and scored all 10 of  his points in the first two minutes of the quarter; the Heat went on a 13-2 run and never trailed the rest of the way. 

Robinson, who scored only three points on 1/6 shooting in 21 minutes in Game 1, set the tone for the Heat in the final stanza, and they don’t win Game 2 without him.

“Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I had not done much in the first game, and then the first half of this game, we talk a lot about trying not to have empty minutes,” Robinson said. “So just trying to play with a certain level of aggressiveness on offense just to at least be out there and have my presence felt.

“Obviously, it helps when the ball goes in, which you can’t always control. But, you know, just really about taking the right shots and just being aggressive.”

Kevin Love, who started Game 2 and had six points and 10 rebounds, added on Robinson: “It’s a beautiful thing to see. We needed all of those contributions tonight.”

In 2021, Robinson signed a five-year, $90 million contract, and last season, he did not play much in the playoffs. His minutes have been down this season, and according to Robinson, the previous two seasons made what happened on Sunday even more rewarding.

“It’s certainly gratifying,” he said. “Gives you a newfound perspective and appreciation just for opportunity and this journey, understanding that you kind of go through stretches where you’re going to have challenges and you’re going to have to deal with adversity and overcome it.

“It’s not always storybook in that sense, and you don’t always get when you want, and just kind of learning how to deal with that and push through that, I think obviously it makes moments like this more enjoyable, but I think it also just makes you more grateful to have opportunities on this stage. Try not to take it for granted, and yeah, you know, just go out there and enjoy myself and have fun and try to help this team win games.”

Miami still has more work to do, but if they win this series, many will point to Robinson’s 10-point spurt in the fourth quarter in Game 2.