Sports

2023 NBA Finals: Everything to Know About Heat vs. Nuggets Series

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The 2023 NBA playoffs are winding down, and two teams are ready to win an NBA championship. The Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets have earned the right to compete in the 2023 NBA Finals. The Heat are the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, and the Nuggets earned the top seed in the Western Conference.ย 

“This is a special group,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters on Wednesday. “This group has been able to overcome a lot of different things, handle a lot of adversity, setbacks, things that have not gone the way we wanted it to go. Instead of having that collapse our spirit, it allowed us to develop some fortitude and grit collectively and give us something to rally around, which was each other. Those are special qualities. I mentioned the other night, it’s a reflection of life to be able to develop those kind of things that can get you through the tough times, and then when you overcome it, just makes things a lot more gratifying.”

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“This is the NBA Finals,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Doesn’t get any bigger than this. So we got our work in upstairs in the friendly confines of our practice court and behind closed doors. Then we come downstairs and do our part, make ourselves available.” Here’s everything to know about the 2023 NBA Finals.

How to Watch

โ€ข Game 1: Heat vs. Nuggets | Thurs., June 1 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
โ€ข Game 2: Heat vs. Nuggets | Sun., June 4 | 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
โ€ข Game 3: Nuggets vs. Heat | Wed., June 7 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
โ€ข Game 4: Nuggets vs. Heat | Fri., June 9 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
โ€ข Game 5: Heat vs. Nuggets | Mon., June 12 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) *
โ€ข Game 6: Nuggets vs. Heat | Thurs., June 15 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) *
โ€ข Game 7: Heat vs. Nuggets | Sun., June 18 | 8 p.m. ET (ABC) *

ย ย * ifย necessary

How the Heat Got Here

The Heat just did enough to qualify for the play-in tournament as they finished the regular season as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. They lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first play-in game but defeated the Chicago Bulls in the second game to earn the No. 8 seed.

The Heat then took down No. 1-seed Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. They defeated the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Seminals before getting past the No. 2-seed Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.ย 

How the Nuggets Got Here

The Nuggets did not have to worry about a play-in game as they were the No. 1 seed in the West. They downed the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. They followed up the series win with a victory over the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Semifinals and then swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.ย 

Heat Player to Watch: Jimmy Butler

Miami Heat v Sacramento Kings
SACRAMENTO, CA โ€“ OCTOBER 29: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on October 29, 2022 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

Jimmy Butler made the All-NBA Second Team this year after finishing the season averaging 22.9 points 5.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per contest. And during the Eastern Conference Finals, Butler was named MVP after averaging 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.6 steals per game.ย 

Nuggets Player to Watch: Nikola Jokiฤ‡

2023 NBA Playoffs โ€“ Denver Nuggets v Los Angeles Lakers
LOS ANGELES, CA โ€“ MAY 22: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets dribbles the ball during Game Four of the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers on May 22, 2023 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

One could argue that Jokiฤ‡ is the best player in the NBA. He won the NBA MVP award in 2021 and 2022 and was named Western Conference MVP after averaging 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds and 11.8 assists per game against the Lakers. Not bad for a player that was picked by the Nuggets in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft.ย 

Heat Title History

2013 NBA Finals โ€“ San Antonio Spurs v Miami Heat
MIAMI, FL โ€“ JUNE 20: Dwyane Wade #3 and LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat celebrate winning the Larry O’Brien Championship and MVP Trophies after Game Seven of the 2013 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on June 20, 2013 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Heat are no strangers to winning championships as they have claimed the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2006, 2012 and 2013. The last time the Heat reached the NBA Finals was in 2020 when they lost to the Lakers.ย 

Nuggets Title History

2023 NBA Playoffs โ€“ Denver Nuggets v Los Angeles Lakers
LOS ANGELES, CA โ€“ MAY 22: Head Coach Michael Malone presents Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets the Earvin “Magic” Johnson western conference finals most valuable player trophy after Round 3 Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals 2023 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers on May 22, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Nuggets are playing in the NBA Finals for the first time since the team was founded in 1967. They haveย reached the Western Conference a few times, including in 2020, the same year the Heat reached the NBA Finals before this year.ย