Thirty teams and 2545 games later, it comes down to two teams and a possible seven games in the 2023 NBA Finals as the champions from the west get set to take on the giants of the east. The Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat will kick off the finals as the last two teams standing in the NBA.
The Nuggets, under the tutelage of Michael Malone, finished the regular season with the best record in the Western Conference and the fourth-best record in the NBA.
The Heat, on the other hand, ended the regular season in eighth place in the East and were one of the four teams to participate in the play-in tournament. They lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first game but overcame the Chicago Bulls in the last game to secure their eighth position and progress to the playoffs.
Jimmy Butler v Nikola Jokic
Miami Heat v Denver NuggetsWho takes Game 1 of the #NBAFinals #NBAonAfrosport pic.twitter.com/DGoZgMGyo1
— AfroSport (@AfroSportTV) June 1, 2023
The Nuggets began the playoffs by dispatching the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round. They overcame the pre-tournament favorites, the Phoenix Suns, in six games before sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the western conference finals, with star man Nikola Jokic emerging as the Most Valuable Player (MVP), earning the Earvin “Magic” Johnson Trophy.
The Heat, led by Erik Spoelstra, saw off the Milwaukee Bucks, who finished with the best record in the regular season, in five games to become the sixth team to beat a top-seeded team in the first round. They overcame the New York Knicks in six games in the semifinals and took seven games to dispatch last season’s finalist, the Boston Celtics, in the eastern conference finals, with Jimmy Butler winning the MVP and subsequently receiving the Larry Bird trophy.
What to Know
The Nuggets will be playing in their first-ever NBA Finals and will be looking to win the first ever championship in franchise history.
The Heat will be playing in their seventh final and will be looking to win their fourth title following triumphs in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
Who to Watch Out For
Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets): The Serbian big man is the leading force behind the Nuggets team, averaging a triple-double this post-season.
Jokic is a two-time NBA MVP averaging 29.9 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 10.3 assists in 15 games this playoff.
Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat): Butler is set to play in his second NBA Finals in four years after the loss to the Lakers in the 2020 season.
He is currently averaging 28.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists across 17 games this playoff and if the Heat are to upset another top-seeded team, his two-way prowess would be very vital.
Head-to-Head
The two teams have never met in the playoffs, but they have played 72 times in the regular season. The Nuggets have won 38 times, while the Heat have come out on top 34 times.
In the two games they faced off during the regular season, the Nuggets won both, increasing their winning streak over the three-time champions to six, dating back to the 2020–21 season.
When is the match and how to watch
The 2023 NBA Finals between the Nuggets and the Heat will tip off at the Ball Arena in the early hours of Friday, June 2nd at 1:30am (West African Time).
You can watch the game LIVE on the go for free from 1:00am (West African Time) on Afrosport on Free TV Channel 730 and via VIDIDU
