Denver Nuggets take on Miami Heat in the NBA Finals; it’s the top seed in the Western Conference against a Play-In tournament winner. Game 1 is set to unfold live on Sky Sports Arena and Sky Sports Mix from 1:30am on June 2.
Two teams that couldn’t be further apart in their journey to this summer’s showpiece series will be playing on the same court for the same trophy.
So, how will it all unfold? Can Nikola Jokic secure his first championship title, or will the Heat add another ring to their collection? Let’s take a look at some of the key talking points below…
Denver’s selfless squad
While Jokic and Jamal Murray are considered crucial to offence, the Nuggets wouldn’t be where they are without building a squad full of steely defenders and sharpshooters capable of filling in when called upon.
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has orchestrated this by deploying his players at specific junctions to help the core team flex their muscles.
It means that while most teams are scrambling to experiment with their rosters, Denver’s plans have worked out perfectly.
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Check out Nikola Jokic’s sensational performance after he helped to send the Denver Nuggets to their first ever NBA Finals.
They haven’t even needed Jokic or Murray at times this season because the points have been shared by players just as skilled.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Bruce Brown, Aaron Gordon, and Jeff Green have all featured as the best starting five of the year, with a +74.6 net rating. Although this line-up hasn’t played together often, they have synced up seamlessly in critical moments throughout the postseason, adapting to the circumstances around them.
Caldwell-Pope and Porter Jr. have been crucial in clutch moments alongside Gordon and Green, who have effortlessly stormed opposition defenses.
All in all, the Heat will have much more to worry about than just Jokic or Murray. If Malone’s proposals pan out as expected, the Nuggets will have a smooth start to the series.
This isn’t Miami’s first stint in the finals
Miami might not have the same roster depth as Denver, especially with three-point specialist Tyler Herro watching from the sidelines with a broken hand. But what they do have in abundance is experience.
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The best of the action from Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals between Miami Heat and Boston Celtics.
Indeed, three players on the team have won the championship before. Kevin Love won it with Cleveland, and Kyle Lowry picked up his first ring with Toronto. Udonis Haslem has been a part of all three title-winning ventures and will likely retire at the end of the postseason.
Only Caldwell-Pope earned that right on Denver’s end with the Los Angeles Lakers at the NBA’s restart bubble in 2020.
Green did play beside Love in his title-winning year, but aside from that, most players on the Nuggets team will be seeking their first ring, while others on the Heat’s bench look to add to an existing tally.
That experience also drifts back to the coaching staff, given that Erik Spoelstra has led the Heat to six NBA finals appearances since 2011.
This past week of action has proved that he can coach his team to victory despite obstacles. First, however, he must rely on every last iota of wisdom and knowledge to surpass Denver’s dominance in Game 1.
Nuggets’ extended rest period
While the Heat had to play seven games to bookmark their place in the NBA finals, the Nuggets breezed past the Lakers in four games and have had a considerable amount of time to rest and recover.
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Highlights of the Denver Nuggets against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.
Indeed, the Nuggets last played nine days ago. That time away has likely been good for healing bumps, bruises, tired muscles, and weary minds.
It’s also likely that they’ve got a first-hand viewing of the kind of Heat side they’ll be coming up against, even though they had a tentative flight set up for Boston.
Malone confirmed it when he stated: “We know who we’re preparing for and can turn the page and focus on that. The Eastern Conference finals have been a hell of a series.”
The downside is that they might have lost their rhythm, but that’s where coaching comes in, and Malone has been faultless in his approach to staggering the starts of his players when necessary.
Don’t write off the Heat just yet
The Heat seem to like living dangerously this season. Why else would they throw away a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals versus the Celtics and then go on to clinch the series in Game 7?
Well, because that’s been the theme of their season. Not only have Miami taken 27 per cent of their shots in the last seven seconds of games, but they’ve also played 64 games where they’ve needed five points in the last five minutes.
So it’s not entirely implausible that there’ll be late-game drama to attend to, just like Game 6 against the Celtics.
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Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler is confident about their chances of overcoming the Denver Nuggets to win the NBA title.
Combine that with the fact that they also have three wins in the playoffs when trailing by double digits in the fourth quarter, and you won’t want to count them out.
If things go pear-shaped, it might fall on Butler again to rescue his team in the game’s dying minutes. But, one thing’s for sure, they won’t want it any other way.
Watch the action unravel live with Sky Sports Arena and Sky Sports Main Event from 1:30am on June 2.