The Road to the NBA Finals: Miami Heat vs Denver Nuggets

The 2023 NBA Finals are finally upon us! The Miami Heat will take on the Denver Nuggets for this year’s ultimate basketball prize in what fans will be hoping to be a best-of-seven series that is one for the ages! Read up on the big even below and don’t forget to check out our huge NBA Finals odds selection!

Both teams have had incredible seasons, with each having taken a very different route to reaching the final stage of the competition. Nonetheless, many memorable moments have taken place, which is why there is plenty of excitement about what could happen on the court over the next seven games.

In this article, we’ll give you all the information about the upcoming series, to help you have an enhanced basketball betting experience. We’ll also take a look back at how the Heat and Nuggets managed to earn their spot in the NBA Finals.

The 2023 NBA Finals: How it works

As noted, the NBA Finals is the final series of the competitive season. This is where the eventual winner of the campaign will finally be announced and revealed to the world. Every game up to this stage will no longer matter, even if the team managed to finish at the top of their conference.

Played over the course of potentially seven games in a best-of-seven series, the two franchises in this showcase event will go back and forth as they look to try and be the best. This year’s competition will see the Denver Nuggets take on the Miami Heat. The following fixtures and dates have been scheduled:

  • Game 1: Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets (1 June)
  • Game 2: Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets (4 June)
  • Game 3: Denver Nuggets @ Miami Heat (7 June)
  • Game 4: Denver Nuggets @ Miami Heat (9 June)
  • Game 5: Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets (12 June)
  • Game 6: Denver Nuggets @ Miami Heat (15 June)
  • Game 7: Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets (18 June)

The best-of-seven series could be completed by the time Game 4 has been completed, as a 4-0 scoreline would be enough to win the NBA Finals. However, as sports fans and avid basketball fans, there is no doubt that neutrals will be hoping to see the contest go the full distance and require Game 7 as the tie-breaker to decide the outcome.

The Nuggets might have an advantage as they have four of the seven matches at home. This is because they are the No. 1 seed in the West. The Miami Heat, in stark contrast, were the No. 8 seed. With the opportunity to play four home matches in the 2023 NBA Finals, Denver may be feeling confident about their chances of winning, as they have been a force in the postseason when playing at the Ball Arena. The team has yet to lose a home game in ‘Mile High,’ with their three defeats on the road.

Additionally, suppose you take a look back on the previous matches between these two teams earlier in the season. In that case, some may favour the Colorado organisation over the Floridian roster. The two contests that were played as part of the regular season both ended up in the Nuggets’ favour, finishing:

  • Miami Heat 119, Denver Nuggets 124 (30 December 2022)
  • Denver Nuggets 112, Miami Heat 108 (13 February 2023)

2023 NBA Standings

While looking at what happened in the two games between the NBA Finalists can be useful in predicting what might happen from a betting point of view. It can also be advisable to look at how each team did in the standings across the regular season.

Although the playoffs and the finals are a different kettle of fish, and the pressure experienced is unlike the level that would have been witnessed at any other point. The league table can be a great way to get an overall view of how well they have been playing basketball.

Given the seeding ranking that is adopted in the playoffs, it is easy to quickly note that the Denver Nuggets were the best team in the West. They obtained their No. 1 seed for the first time in the organisation’s history by coming out on top of the conference, as they won more games than anyone else in their conference. After 82 games, they were victorious in 53, losing only 29 and achieving a win record of 0.646. They finished two games ahead (two extra wins) of the Memphis Grizzlies in second.

It was a different story for the Miami Heat, and as alluded to already, they had a very different route to the NBA Finals. They finished seventh in the Eastern Conference and were ranked the No. 8 seed. In terms of basketball betting, they were considered the ultimate outsider based on their form, as they only managed to get through to the postseason. After 82 games, they managed to win just 44 (losing 38) and obtain a win record of 0.537. They finished some 14 games behind the No. 1 seed in the East, the Milwaukee Bucks.

Denver Nuggets’ Route to the NBA Final

At the beginning of the season, the Denver Nuggets would not have been many people’s pick to reach the NBA Finals. Still, the Colorado franchise had managed to continue to defy belief and expectations with their performances. While they were impressive throughout the regular season, they stepped up a gear and went through the motions when it mattered most in the playoffs.

In fact, it could be argued that the team—which have been led superbly by Nikola Jokić as he looks to become the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the third year in a row. They have been unplayable at this stage of the competition, as they have dropped just three games over the course of 15 matches played. In the games played so far, the Nuggets have managed:

  • First Round – 4-1 victory over No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Conference Semifinals – 4-2 victory over No. 4 Phoenix Suns
  • Conference Finals – 4-0 victory over No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers

Last year’s efforts saw the team fail to get past the Golden State Warriors, who would end up winning the 2022 NBA Finals. This year, they managed to create more history, as their 4-0 sweep of the LA Lakers was the first time they had managed to achieve the feat while reaching the Finals.

As highlighted, Jokić has been instrumental in helping the team this season. The Serbian was named the Western Conference Finals MVP after breaking a record that the legendary Wilt Chamberlain held. Jokić obtained the most triple-doubles throughout a playoff run in a single season. In terms of postseason figures, the Serbian has managed to achieve an average of 29.9 points per game across the 15 games played thus far. He is also extremely effective in terms of assists, having recorded a career-high of 10.3 per game so far.

However, while it would be very easy to pinpoint a lot of the focus on the superstar, another individual on the basketball court has been extremely effective for the Nuggets. Jamal Murray has also been extremely productive in terms of scoring, as he achieved an average of 27.7 points per game in the playoffs, a high for him.

While there will be big expectations on the team this season to win the 2023 NBA Finals, both individuals will have to be at their very best—as will the other players on the roster—if they are to overcome the challenge of the Miami Heat.

Miami Heat’s Route to the 2023 NBA Finals

Despite the Heat having what could be described as a poor regular season, the Florida-based organisation has proven that as long as you make the postseason, anything can still happen as the form book goes out the window. As mentioned, the games at this stage of the competition are simply do-or-die, as there is everything to win or lose.

The Heat have been among the biggest surprise stories in the playoffs so far, with the franchise pulling off some of the biggest upsets while also creating some interesting stories in some of the games they have played thus far. In order to reach the 2023 NBA Finals, they have already managed to do the following:

  • First play-in Game – Lost to the Atlanta Hawks 116-105
  • Second play-in Game – Defeated the Chicago Bulls 102-91
  • First Round – 4-1 victory over No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks
  • Conference Semifinals – 4-2 victory over No. 5 New York Knicks
  • Conference Finals – 4-3 victory over No. 2 Boston Celtics

Following the first result of the postseason, it would have been easy to discount any chance that the Heat had of reaching the NBA Finals. Especially as they had barely qualified in the first place. However, Erik Spoelstra’s side showed their never-die attitude on the court and produced many memorable moments in their playoff run.

In the second play-in game, they were trailing the Bulls as they headed into the fourth quarter before rallying back and getting the win they needed. That performance seemingly set the tone for Jimmy Butler and co., as they managed to upset the No. 1 seed in the next round by taking advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence for the Bucks in Games 2 and 3. The Heat also managed to win each of their home games after going 1-0 up against the Knicks to advance before they met a familiar foe in the Celtics.

For the third time in the last four years—and a repeat of last year’s Eastern Conference finals—the Heat would avenge their defeat 12 months earlier with a 4-3 win. However, they did not make things easy for themselves. They went 3-0 up in the series but required Game 7 to eventually get that important fourth win and take the series 4-3 to book their place against the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Finals.

Butler has been solid for the Heat this season in the playoffs, achieving an average of 28.5 points per game in the 17 games played. And many feel he will need to be at his scoring best if the team is to have any chance of overcoming the Nuggets throughout June in order to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Who will win the 2023 NBA Finals?

Given the form of the two teams and the 2023 NBA standings, it is hardly a shock that the Denver Nuggets are the betting favourites to win the 2023 NBA Finals. In fact, when you look at the odds prior to Game 1, they suggest that it is more likely for the Coloradans to lose than for the Miami Heat to win, and it is easy to side with this opinion.

Nonetheless, it is important to keep an open mind when thinking about what could happen on the court, especially as the Floridian organisation has managed to overcome several challenges, many of which gave them a slim-to-no chance of achieving.

As a neutral or a potential basketball betting fan, hopefully we will see seven exceptional matches take place, each providing a number of moments we can all get behind.

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