Andy Hines
The NBA finally has its final match-up for The Finals. A week ago, it looked as though the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets were going to sweep their series and both have a long layoff.
However, the Boston Celtics had other plans and forced a game 7 after going down 3-0 in the series. It gave the NBA some much-needed TV real estate for the last week, but the Miami Heat went to Boston and took care of business in game 7 to go to Denver for Game one on Wednesday Night.
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Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Co have been off for 9 days after completing a fairly competitive sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Nuggets are 12-3 in these playoffs and have looked like the best team in the bracket for the entirety of them thus far.
Their offense running through two-time MVP Nikola Jokic has proven to be too much for the rest of the NBA to handle. His pace, shot-making, and incredible passing make guarding this team nearly impossible. They surround him with shooters and slashers.
Having a 6’10” Michael Porter Jr who can stay out and make shots at an alarming rate. With this roster healthy, they look to have a decided advantage over the Miami Heat.
Game 1 NBA Finals Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat:
- Game time: Thursday, June 1st, 2023 8:30 PM ET
- Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO, United State.
- Watch: NBATV , ABC.
HOWEVER, the Miami Heat have a whole lot of things that cannot be explained. Jimmy Butler has shown that he has some superhuman effort level and determination to get his team to the finish line.
He is surrounded by a bunch of role players and Bam Adebayo. During the regular season, the Heat was a bad three-point shooting team, but during the playoffs, they returned to their previous year’s form.
Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, and Caleb Martin have all shown during this playoff run that being an undrafted player don’t keep you from making a major impact on a playoff series.
The Nuggets are a prohibitive favorite in this series, and in game one they are a 9-point favorite. The Miami Heat have set a playoff record for wins in games where they were down by 10 points or more, so a large deficit won’t be the end of the Heat.
From a betting perspective, this series doesn’t seem like it will be very competitive, but something about Heat Culture may make it entertaining.
| No. 1 Nuggets vs. No. 8 Heat | |
|---|---|
| Head-to-head record: | Nuggets 2-0 |
| Overall record: | Nuggets 53-29, Heat 44-38 |
| Leading scorer on Nuggets: | Nikola Jokic |
| Leading scorer on Heat: | Jimmy Butler |
The official schedule of the #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV!
Game 1: Thursday, 6/1, 8:30 PM ET on ABC pic.twitter.com/psNkHpQGj5
— NBA (@NBA) May 30, 2023
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| Title: NBA Finals Preview
| Author: Matt Catton
| Date: May 30, 2023
