MIAMI — Mike Miller was present from the start.

Before the title of “Best Player in the World” was his. Miller was there to witness the early days of the Nuggets’ golden era, before All-Star appearances, MVPs, and even Nikola Jokic earning a starting spot with the team. He joined the team before the start of the 2015-16 season, Jokic’s rookie year. He witnessed the first act of Jokic’s Hall of Fame career firsthand.

Miller has always been a strong supporter of Jokic. But did he ever see it coming? Did he foresee this level of greatness?

“I’m not going to sound insane by saying that I expected him to be a two-time MVP and to be on this stage like this. But I did it. “I really did,” Miller said after the Nuggets’ Game 3 victory in Miami. “That’s just how good he was and how good he is.”

In Game 3, Jokic and Jamal Murray combined to lead the Nuggets to their biggest victory in franchise history, a 109-94 victory over the Heat to take a 2-1 series lead in the NBA Finals. The two-time MVP finished with 32 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists, becoming the first player in NBA Finals history to record a 30-20-10 performance. Murray finished with 34 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists for a triple-double. Jokic and Murray became the NBA’s first teammates to record 30-point triple-doubles in the same game. Ever.

Murray delivered dagger after dagger after dagger after dagger on Wednesday night, halting every Heat rally. He routinely drove by Jimmy Butler as if he didn’t exist.

“Jamal has made tremendous progress,” Miller told DNVR. “He was always the type of guy who believed in himself. The moment was never too big for him, and he’s demonstrating that here.”

Game 3 was a Jokic and Murray showcase. It was a dominant, takeover performance from the Nuggets’ two postseason stars, who now hold the title of NBA’s Best Duo. In Game 3, they exploited a Miami defense that had stymied Denver in Game 2. They destroyed the Nuggets’ dynamic offense by breaking the zone coverage. They made the Heat’s stalwart defense look inept.

Murray and Jokic combined for 64 of Denver’s 109 points. Christian Braun, the Nuggets’ third-leading scorer in Game 3, led the team with 15 points off the bench. Jokic and Murray breezed through the Heat defense all night. The Nuggets’ duo was simply too hot for the Heat to handle, similar to how the Jokic-Murray two-man game shut down the Lakers in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.

In the pick-and-roll, they danced together. They ISO-killed their defenders. They caused problems for Miami from the paint, mid-range, and beyond the arc. Their chemistry and synergy were impeccable. Everything was on display for all to see.

“I’d say it’s a trust and a feel, that’s the best way for me to put it,” Murray said of his rapport with Jokic. “It’s not just Xs and Os. It’s just a matter of reading the game and trusting that the other player will make the correct decision.”

“If he throws it to me, he knows what to expect from me, and he knows my mood, the intensity with which I’m playing, whether it’s low or high, time and score, and vice versa.” I can tell when he’s overpassing, when he’s trying to score, when he’s the best player on the court, and when he’s taking a second to get into the game.”

“There are a lot of guys who play with each other. “I believe those two guys play for each other,” Malone said.

You can’t build what they have in a single regular season or in a single summer.

“The reality of the situation is they did it the right way in Denver,” according to Miller. “They did it through the draft, and they kept getting better.”

Following the Nuggets’ Game 3 victory, a happy Denver locker room seemed content with what they had just reminded the world of. The Denver Nuggets are the same team that swept the Lakers and advanced to the NBA Finals with a 12-3 playoff record. This is the same juggernaut that dominated the majority of the playoffs. Game 3 at the Kaseya Center reminded those in attendance that the best duo in the NBA is a formidable, historical pairing on a mission.

Jokic sat at his locker after what is currently being regarded as the best game of his NBA career and refueled by consuming a container of watermelon piece by piece. A quote of his — curated by assistant coach Charles Klask and blown up on a poster by equipment manager Sparky Gonzalez — that was said after the Nuggets’ first-ever trip to the NBA Finals tied a bow on a special night.

“We have a chance to do something nice.” – Jokic, Nikola

They certainly do.

“He hasn’t changed much, to be honest,” Miller said of Jokic to DNVR. “He’s still playing slowly. He still improves everyone around him, and he gets what he wants. He’s just a difficult guard.”

“He’s a similar player to the guy he used to be.” But he’s simply in better shape now. He was always so talented. Incredible size. Playmaking. Scorer. Touch has always been fantastic. Simply put, he’s a fantastic basketball player.”