The Denver Nuggets waited patiently to see who their opponent would be for the 2023 NBA Finals. Nikola Jokić and company had made quick work of the Lakers in the Western Conference, while the Celtics and Heat battled through seven games out East.
But after Miami’s Game 7 victory on Monday night, the match up is now set. In their first Finals appearance in franchise history, the Nuggets will be both the home team and the favorite. They were the #1 seed in their conference and have held home court throughout the postseason, which has given them an edge to go along with their dominant, MVP-caliber big man.
Nuggets Aren’t Thinking About Heat Being An 8-Seed
“As I told our team, forget the #8 seed stuff… For those that are thinking this is going to be an easy series, I don’t even know what to say to you people. This is going to be the biggest challenge of our lives.”
– Michael Malone 🗣️
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/qv2E1NKimj
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 30, 2023
Miami took an unlikely path to the Finals, and they likely have no problem being the road team. The Heat have overcome adversity and steep odds since the regular season ended, defeating large spreads outright in both single games and overall series. They were 8+ point underdogs in each of Games 1, 2, and 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and they wound up winning each of them outright.
Based on the comments that they had about the Heat on Tuesday, the Nuggets know exactly what they are up against. After practice, head coach Michael Malone took to the microphone:
“As I told our team, forget the 8-seed stuff. They beat Milwaukee 4-1, the team that had the most wins in the NBA this year…You get to the NBA Finals, it isn’t about seeding anymore. And for those that are thinking this is going to be an easy series, I don’t even know what to say to you people. This is going to be the biggest challenge of our lives.”
Denver was one of the most dominant teams all season long, while Miami has only begun to turn up their intensity over the last month and a half. But their run through the playoffs has caught the attention of the basketball world, and it doesn’t take an expert to see just how hard the Heat play.
“They fight, they scrap, and they have no quit… They play fearless, they play disciplined… All those guys over there got game, so respect it.”
Aaron Gordon gives his respect to the Heat ahead of their matchup in the NBA Finals 🤝
(via @VidaVivaDiva) pic.twitter.com/cCSramafS8
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 30, 2023
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon had this to say about them:
“We have the utmost respect for them. They fight, they scrap…They play fearless, they play disciplined. They’re well coached, and they got some guys who have been there before…We’re not looking at the seeding or the story around it. This is a very talented basketball team.”
The betting line for the series opened with the Nuggets at -350, and the Heat coming in with a designation of +280. As for Game 1, Denver will be 8+ point favorites in the first NBA Finals game in Nuggets history.
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