The Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat Set to Face Off in the NBA Finals

For the first time in franchise history, the Denver Nuggets have secured a place in the NBA Finals, where they will face the Miami Heat. The Nuggets have been led by two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, and they will be seeking their first-ever championship title. Meanwhile, the Heat, who were seeded eighth, have made a surprise run to the Finals, thanks to the playoff performance of Jimmy Butler. The Heat will be aiming to win their fourth championship title, having fallen short in the 2020 Finals inside the Orlando bubble.

Rest Advantage

The Nuggets will have had a ten-day break before Game 1, which is only the fourth time in the past two decades that a team has had such a long break before the Finals. Boston’s comeback from a 3-0 deficit to force a Game 7 means that Denver will have seven more days of rest than Miami. However, Nuggets coach Michael Malone has expressed concern that this might not be an advantage. He believes that the team’s biggest concern is not the rest but rather the rhythm and conditioning, as they have been playing every other day for so long. Teams with at least a five-day rest advantage heading into the Finals have gone 10-6 in the opening game. When such teams have been at home for Game 1 of the Finals, they have an 8-1 winning record. Teams with both home-court advantage and a rest edge of at least five days going in are 8-1 all-time in the Finals.

The Challenge of Stopping Jokic

Jokic has been the most dominant player in the playoffs, with an NBA-record eight triple-doubles and an average of 29.9 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 10.3 assists. The Heat’s biggest challenge will be trying to stop him. Draymond Green has said that trying to outwit Jokic in the postseason is as difficult as trying to beat LeBron in an NBA Finals. Spoelstra will have to find a way to do what other teams, such as the Lakers, have been unable to do, which is to stop Jokic. Spoelstra’s best option is to try to limit Jokic on the defensive end and provide some help for Butler offensively. If the Heat’s All-Star center, Bam Adebayo, gets into foul trouble, Jokic will become an even bigger problem.

The Heat will also need to keep hitting shots, with Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, and Duncan Robinson playing key roles. Vincent, who went 11-for-14 from the field in Miami’s Game 3 rout of the Celtics, has been praised by Spoelstra for his ability to play within himself and help the team in a variety of ways. Martin has been consistent, with a combined 47 points in Games 6 and 7. Robinson has filled in nicely as an offensive weapon off the bench, going a combined 13-for-20 during Games 2 and 3.

Jokic has said that he is not concerned about winning MVP trophies but is focused on lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The Heat will be hoping to prevent him from doing so. The Finals schedule and news, as well as title odds, can be found elsewhere. The Nuggets will be looking to build on their momentum after sweeping the Lakers, while the Heat will be hoping to continue their incredible run after their loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the first game of the play-in tournament. This NBA Finals matchup promises to be one of the most surprising in league history.

NBA

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