Dave Hyde: Where did the Miami Heat’s offense go in these NBA Finals?

MIAMI — Don’t say it.

No, really, don’t say it just yet.

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“I told the guys, ‘Feel whatever you want to feel tonight, it’s fine,’” Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said late Friday night after a 108-95 loss in Game 4 put this historic run one loss from history. “You probably shouldn’t sleep tonight. I don’t think anybody will.”

OK, then, say it: You didn’t feel the Heat were outmatched from the opening tip in the first series against Milwaukee, even if it had the best record over the regular season.

You didn’t feel they were outmatched in the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston, the team with the second-best record in the conference. Remember? The Heat took that wicked ending in Game 6 and stole Boston’s soul in Game 7.

They’re outmatched by Denver. Outclassed. Jamal Murray had 12 assists and no turnovers in Game 4? Nicola Jokic had 23 points and 12 rebounds and that’s so sub-par by his standards, he thanked his teammates?

The Heat had Jokic right where they wanted him Saturday, on the bench with five fouls, for nearly five minutes deep in the fourth quarter. Denver led by 10 points when he left. It led by nine points when he returned. That tells of their other good parts, like the University of Miami’s own Bruce Brown (21 points).

There’s no need to be harsh about what’s happening in these NBA Finals with Denver up 3-0. There’s no need, for instance, to say the clock struck midnight on eighth-seeded Cinderella and someone cued the pumpkin.

All you need to say is Denver turned the Heat back into the team that was last in in the league offensively in the in the regular season. The Heat have scored a minimalist 93, 94 and 95 points in their three losses this series. That’s the headline here.

Denver’s great offense isn’t the problem. It’s scoring eight points less than it has averaged across this postseason. So it’s not the Heat defense. But that offense? Where do you want to start?

There’s the 3-point shooting that was 8 for 25 on Saturday. The Heat shot 43.4 percent to beat Boston and 45 percent against Milwaukee. It’s shooting 33 percent against Denver. Woof.

There’s also this play to review: With the Heat trying to cut Denver’s lead to four points with seven minutes left — an eternity in NBA time — Bam Adebayo took dinosaur Jeff Green in the lane and didn’t attack the basket. He missed a 12-foot shot.

Or this play: Jimmy Butler driving the lane with a chance to cut Denver’s lead to five points a few minutes later. He hasn’t been Playoff Jimmy like the 52- or 45-point performances against Milwaukee. This was a night that needed that superhero.

It could have just used a hot final stanza from him. That drive proved it wasn’t coming. Butler had the ball knocked away from him. Denver took it the other way for a lay-up, just as they did so much of the night (17 points off 15 Heat turnovers).

There’s also this problem in the Heat’s offense: The starting backcourt of Max Strus and Gabe Vincent combined for two points Saturday on 1-of-10 shooting. They combined for 3-of-17 shooting in Game 3. Enough said?

Now they go to Denver for Monday’s Game 5 with the Nuggets needing one more win.

“We have an incredibly competitive group,’’ Spoelstra said. “We’ve done everything the hard way, and that’s the way it’s going to have to be done right now, again.

“All we are going to focus on is getting this thing back to the 305. Get this thing back to Miami. And things can shift very quickly. It’s going to be a gnarly game in Denver that is built for the competitors that we have in our locker room

“We get an opportunity to play a super competitive game in a great environment. That’s going to be an awesome environment. Our guys are built for that. They love that … Yeah, we understand what the narrative will be, but that’s the way it is with our team.”

Spoelstra talked just like this after losing Game 6 to Boston in that final split, soul-sucking second. The Heat collected themselves in a win for the ages. They’re back to that point again. This would triple that feat. Three wins for the ages, anyone?