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

Miller has always been a major 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 platform 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 largest 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 achieve 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 habitually drove by Jimmy Butler as if he didn’t exist.

Miller, whose second season in Denver coincided with Murray’s rookie year in 2016-17, recalls his first impression of the Blue Arrow as well.

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

Game 3 was a Jokic and Murray showcase. It was an overpowering, takeover performance from the Nuggets’ two postseason heroes, who now own 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’ potent attack by breaking the zone coverage. They made the Heat’s stalwart defense seem 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’ tandem 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 connection and coordination were outstanding. 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 believing 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.”