Bruce Brown

As much as the Denver Nuggets’ star players brought the franchise to the doorstep of its first NBA title, the team’s bench played a similarly critical role. Bruce Brown continued to make a major impact in Game 4 of the NBA Finals as he helped put the Miami Heat away late en route to Denver’s fifth straight postseason road win. The fifth-year guard — a vital 2022 offseason addition — used a screen from Nikola Jokić to zip past Kyle Lowry on a drive and eluded a chasing Bam Adebayo thanks to a silky smooth reverse layup that pushed Denver’s lead to 11. Brown shot 8 for 11 from the field, knocking down 3 of 5 from downtown on top of four rebounds and two assists as the Nuggets took a commanding 3-1 series lead with a 108-95 victory on June 9, 2023.

Championship Year