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Nuggets had dinner at Jeff Green’s house in Miami before Game 3 win over Heat

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Updated28 Sep 2023

Denver Nuggets had dinner at Jeff Greens house in Miami before Game 3 win over Heat

The Denver Nuggets enjoyed a private dinner at Jeff Green’s home in Miami before Wednesday night’s 109-94 win over the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals. Raul Santacruz, a private celebrity chef, cooked for the team.

Santacruz has worked as a private chef since 2004. The Politecnico Grancolombiano alumnus also cooked for Westin Hotels & Resorts from January 2002 to July 2005, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“We knew we was coming to Miami to play in the Finals,” Green told The Denver Post. “I live here. I invited the team over.” It was a bonding moment for the team, not so much for motivational purposes.

Based on a few NBA betting sites, the Nuggets are the favorites to win the 2023 NBA Finals. Check out which sportsbooks are giving Nikola Jokic the best odds to win Finals MVP.


“He has a nice house,” five-time All-Star Nikola Jokic said. “He’s a guy who — he’s so professional … and that’s why he’s [stayed] so, so long in the league. Having us in his house, it’s a really nice thing of him. And hopefully one time we can come to celebrate a little bit better.”

As for the food, the Nuggets were served risotto, kale salad, chicken, and steak. “Man, the food was phenomenal,” Ish Smith added. “It was the perfect situation, the perfect timing that we needed. Coming off a tough loss. It was cool. It was a good little vibe.”

Jeff Green hosted the Nuggets’ dinner party at his Miami home the night before Wednesday’s 109-94 Game 3 win over the Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals

However, not everyone enjoyed their dinner. DeAndre Jordan went as far as to say, “The food was trash.” But the 6-foot-11 center did admit that the kale salad was delicious, calling it “fire.”

In the Nuggets’ 109-94 win over Miami in Game 3, Jokic became the fifth player to score 100 or more points through his first three career NBA Finals games, joining Rick Barry (122 in 1997), Allen Iverson (106 in 2001), Willis Reed (104 in 1970), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (103 in 2021).


The five-time All-NBA member recorded 32 points, 21 rebounds, 10 assists, and two blocks in 44 minutes of action. Jamal Murray also posted his first playoff career triple-double. The sixth-year guard logged 34 points, 10 boards, 10 assists, and one steal in 45 minutes played.

Murray and Nikola Jokic are the first teammates in NBA history (regular season or playoffs) to each record 30-point triple-doubles in the same game. They are the first teammates to each record 30 points and 10 assists in the same playoff game since Portland Trail Blazers’ Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter in 1992.

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