NBA Finals Game 1 Preview – Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets

NBA Finals Game 1 Preview – Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets

By NBA analyst Thomas Quaynor

The Miami Heat face the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the NBA Finals tonight on ABC. Denver won both regular season meetings this season and has won 9 of the last 10 against Miami. Denver is making their first NBA Finals appearance in their 47-year NBA franchise history. Miami is going for their fourth title in franchise history, their most recent title was in 2013. If Miami wins the series, they would tie the 1978 Washington Bullets as the worst regular-season record (44-38) by a champion in NBA history. Denver is a 9-point favorite and the total. 

BOTH TEAMS JOURNEY TO THE NBA FINALS 

Last season, the Miami Heat finished as the top seed in the East with a 53-29 record and made it to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals where they lost a close game to the Boston Celtics. The 2022-2023 season saw 9 fewer wins, a seventh-place finish and struggles in the play-in round where they got drilled by Atlanta 116-105 at home and needed a late fourth quarter rally to knock off Chicago 102-91. It seemed as if Miami was destined to become fodder for the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, who finished with the best record in the NBA at 58-24.

Once the real playoffs got started though, Miami flipped the proverbial switch as Jimmy Butler once again turned into ‘Playoff Jimmy’ and Miami looked like a completely different team as they won 10 of their first 13 playoff games. The tone was set with an impressive 130-117 Game 1 win at Milwaukee where Jimmy Butler finished with 35 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals in 43 minutes. Butler averaged a Michael Jordan-like 37.6 ppg on 59.7% shooting against Milwaukee, included were games where he scored 56 and 42 points, as Miami eliminated the top-seeded Bucks in just 5 games. 

Miami went on to eliminate the No. 5 seed New York Knicks 4-2 in the second round as ‘Playoff Jimmy’ dominated again averaging 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks. Miami could have made quicker work of the Knicks if Butler didn’t miss Game 2 with an ankle injury. Miami then got revenge on the Boston Celtics by eliminating them in a draining 7-game series, flipping the script from last year when Boston eliminated Miami in a Game 7 at Miami. The Miami-Boston series took some incredible turns as Miami went up 3-0, then lost the next 3 games including a stunning buzzer-beating loss in Game 6 that forced a Game 7 back in Boston. Miami then closed out the series with a dominant 103-84 win. 

Jimmy Butler was named the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP after averaging 28.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.1 steals across 17 playoff games. What makes Miami’s run even more impressive is they’ve done this without third-leading scorer Tyler Herro (20.1ppg, 5.4rebs in the regular season) and key reserve Victor Oladipo (10.7ppg, 3.5asts) who were injured early in the Milwaukee season. There is a chance that Herro could return for Game 3 of the NBA Finals

With all the hijinks and noise going on in the Western Conference (Ja Morant situation-Dillon Brooks constant chirping, Lakers personnel moves, Kevin Durant traded to Phoenix, etc.) this season, the Denver Nuggets quietly finished as the top seed in the West at 53-29. Most people may not have paid attention to Denver prior to the playoffs but they made a huge statement by plowing through the Western Conference playoffs with a 12-3 mark. 

Along the way, Denver beat a scrappy Minnesota team 4-1 in the first round, took out Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns in 6 games and then swept LeBron’s Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers series was the first playoff sweep in franchise history. 

The dominance of two-time MVP Nikola Jokic along with Jamal Murray’s elite play proved to be too much for every team Denver faced in the playoffs. Jokic averaged a triple double with 29.9 points, 13.3 rebounds, 10.3 assists and 1.1 steals across 15 postseason games. Jokic’s eight triple doubles broke the single postseason record set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1967. 

Jamal Murray averaged 27.7 points, 6.1 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals across 15 postseason games. He averaged 32.5 ppg against the Lakers in the Conference Finals. It’s been quite the redemption story for Murray who tore his ACL in April 2021 and could only sit on the bench in street clothes and watch as Denver suffered embarrassing postseason exits for the last two years. 

THE PICK 

Miami has been the road dog in Game 1 of every playoff series so far and has won each game outright. They may not win this one but I think they keep it close..Take the 9 points!