The eyes of the basketball world will be squarely on the Miami Heat as the three-time NBA champions look to add a fourth Larry O’Brien Trophy with a Finals win this year.
Standing in their way is a team who is making its first ever appearance in the NBA Finals in a Denver Nuggets team who may have been the best in basketball this season that no one talks about.
Here’s a complete preview of all the action between the Heat and the Nuggets with Game 1 of the NBA Finals set to tip-off on Thursday.
How They Got Here
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The Heat needed a win-or-stay-home play in game just to make it into the postseason – and took full advantage of their second chance. Miami knocked off a Milwaukee team who had the best record in the NBA this season before beating their rivals from New York in six games.
Miami needed seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals to get by Boston in one of the most epic series in franchise history - nearly blowing three games to none lead before a Game 7 that send them to the Finals for the seventh time.
The Nuggets made quick work of their three playoff series, defeating Minnesota in five games before knocking off Phoenix in six games. Denver made a statement in the Western Conference Finals by sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers, qualifying for the Finals for the first time since joining the league.
Sports
All-Time History
Denver holds a 38-34 advantage over Miami in the history of meetings between the teams, with the Nuggets winning nine of the last 10 games between the teams.
Best of the Best
While Miami has had big games this postseason from undrafted players like Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, Duncan Robinson and more, Jimmy Butler has far and away been the best player for the Heat. The man nicknamed “Jimmy Buckets” has averaged nearly 30 points a game this postseason, finishing just shy of that with 28 points in the Game 7 victory over Boston.
For Denver, the man in the middle has been the biggest star. Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic has had a triple-double this postseason, averaging just over 30 points a game along with nearly 14 rebounds and 10 assists.
Making History
The Heat exceeded expectations with its showing as the No. 8 seed in the East this season. Miami became just the second team in NBA history to advance to the Finals from that spot - matching the 1999 New York Knicks, who beat the Heat that season in the first round.
Familiar Foe
Miami does not have any players from a school in Colorado this season, but Denver does have some 305 love with former Miami Hurricanes forward Bruce Brown on the roster. Brown has averaged just under 12 points a game this season for the Nuggets while averaging just under 15 points a game against the Heat.
