The NBA Finals are officially set! We’ll have the ultimate matchup of rest vs rust as the Miami Heat – fresh off a Game 7 win over the Celtics – will head to the altitude to take on the Nuggets, who will have had 9 days off prior to Thursday’s Game 1.
Miami’s supporting cast showed up in a BIG way, especially in Game 7. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo were off in the 1st Half of Game 7. However, Boston was BRUTAL shooting from three, while Caleb Martin and the Heat supporting cast hit some big shots to create a lead. That was enough to hold off the Celtics until Jimmy lit up in the second half to help Miami pull away for good.
Winning in blowout fashion after nearly being the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 lead is a testament to the “Heat Culture” that’s played a massive role in getting Miami to where they are now.
On the other hand, we have the Denver Nuggets who took care of the Lakers in just four games – though some called the Lakers’ performance the greatest EVER by a team that got swept.
The Heat will have an uphill climb. Nikola Jokic is playing like the best player in the NBA, Jamal Murray is playing lights-out basketball, and the Nuggets are incredibly deep. Does Miami have an answer for Jokic? Can the Nuggets shoot through the Heat zone defense that gave Boston such a hard time? Will the long series combined with heading into the altitude be too much for Miami?
I can’t wait to find out!
Heat vs Nuggets Series Schedule
Game 1: Thursday, June 1st – Heat at Nuggets – 7:30 pm CT – ABC
Game 2: Sunday, June 4th – Heat at Nuggets – 7:00 pm CT – ABC
Game 3: Wednesday, June 7th – Nuggets at Heat – 7:30 pm CT – ABC
Game 4: Friday, June 9th – Nuggets at Heat – 7:30 pm CT – ABC
Game 5 (if necessary): Monday, June 12th – Heat at Nuggets – 7:30 pm CT – ABC
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, June 15th – Nuggets at Heat – 7:30 pm CT – ABC
Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, June 18th – Heat at Nuggets – 7:00 pm CT – ABC
Who Is Favored To Win The Series
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Nuggets are currently -400 to win the series while the Heat are +310.
Keys To The Series
Zoning In. Sure, Boston didn’t shoot well in Game 7. Part of that was due to an off night, but a lot of it was also due to Miami’s suffocating zone defense. According to NBA.com, the Celtics scored just 19 total points on 34 zone possessions from the Heat on Monday night. If you’re going to beat the Heat’s zone, you’ll have to shoot well from three and have excellent ball movement. Boston had neither of that in Game 7. However, Denver does both of those things well. The Nuggets have the second-highest three-point shooting percentage in these playoffs at 38.6 percent. They trail only the Heat at 39.0 percent. They shot 40.4 percent from beyond the arc against the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Can Denver shoot through the Miami zone?
Battle of the Bigs. Both of these teams often go as their big men go. Nikola Jokic has won two of the last three NBA MVPs and probably should have won again this year. He’s playing like the best player in the NBA right now. When Bam Adebayo scores 20+ points, the Heat are tough to beat. We know what we’ll get from Jokic; he’s going to be great. But if Adebayo is scoring and the Heat can work inside out and continue to shoot well from deep, they’ll have a chance to keep things interesting.
Heat Culture. We’re hearing a lot about it at this point, but it’s gotten Miami this far. As much as Jimmy Butler pulled them through the Bucks series, the Heat’s supporting cast really picked up the slack against the Knicks and in Game 7 against the Celtics. Caleb Martin was awesome and should have arguably been ECF MVP. Duncan Robinson missed two massive threes in Game 6 – only to hit some big shots in Game 7. Max Strus and Gabe Vincent didn’t have their best nights, but both made their presence felt in some big moments throughout the playoffs. Miami also has potentially the best head coach in the NBA in Erik Spoelstra. How big of an impact can he make in this series? The Nuggets are really talented, they’re the much better team on paper and they’re better than any team the Heat have gone up against so far. But Heat Culture took down Boston. Will it strike again?
Heat vs Nuggets Prediction
I would love to see Jimmy Butler get an NBA title. He’ll have to be his absolute best in this one, but I’m still not sure it will be enough. The quick turnaround and heading into the altitude for Games 1 & 2 is a whole lot to ask.
Nuggets in 5.
NEWSLETTER
