The Denver Nuggets have finally reached the mountaintop.
Led by back-to-back league MVP Nikola Jokić, the Nuggets beat the Miami Heat 94-89 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night to win the first championship in the franchise’s 47-year history.
Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson were on the call for the ESPN on ABC television broadcast.
Breen — calling his 100th NBA Finals game — had an excellent call as the game clock went to zero and the Nuggets secured the title. Here’s how it looked and sounded on the ESPN on ABC broadcast:
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“THEY’RE NOT GONNA FOUL! THE HEAT WILL LET IT PLAY OUT! IT’S OVER! AT LAST, THE LONG WAIT IS OVER! AFTER 47 YEARS, THE DENVER NUGGETS CAN FINALLY CALL THEMSELVES NBA CHAMPIONS!”
Play-by-play man Jason Kosmicki and analyst Scott Hastings had the Denver radio call for Altitude Sports Radio (92.5 FM). Altitude Sports Radio has shared a highlight package of big moments from the game, and you can skip to the 10:21 mark to hear the final sequence:
“THE 47 YEAR WAIT IS OVA! THE DENVER NUGGETS STAND ON TOP OF THE NBA WORLD! THEY ARE CHAMPIONS! AND NUGGETS FANS FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA CAN REST, OR DIE, IN PEACE! Oh my God. I can’t believe they did it.”
After the game, Breen, Jackson, and Van Gundy spoke more about the scene and what the Nuggets accomplished:
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Breen: “When you see these emotions, when you see these bonds, when you hear these fans, this is why we love sports. What a magnificent scene for this city, for this organization, the coaching staff, and the players. Never get tired of seeing this, Mark.”
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.