Let’s Talk About That Denver Nuggets V Miami Heat NBA Final Showdown

What followed were five hard-fought games that ended with the Nuggets claiming their first-ever NBA championship, in their first Finals appearance, no less. Now that the dust has settled, let’s take a look at those Finals games that decided it all.

Going into the Finals

The story of the Nuggets didn’t start in the first game of the Finals. It’s the culmination of an unprecedented season that saw a previously discounted team, who fell at the first hurdle of last year’s playoffs, overcome past rivals and become the most competitive team in the association.

With such a shake-up, we saw a lot of chaos in betting markets. Naturally, those who backed the Nuggets were treated well and now they’re leading odds for 2024’s playoffs. The enthusiasm is understandable, maybe even infectious, and it may have been historic but the Nuggets’ winning sweep isn’t a pattern yet. That’s why early odds from NBA betting oddsmakers place them at a tentative 9/2 when it comes to winning the Championship (as of June 29). That’s almost a 20% winning probability, higher than all other given odds but certainly no guarantee.

But let’s rewind to just before the Finals. The hype behind the Nugs, particularly Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, was only part of their success. At the time, we covered that Jokic was called Larry Bird-esque by Detroit coach Dwane Casey. Truth is, the Heat had lost to the Nugs in their five meetings before this Finals clash, across 2021 and 2022, per the NBA site record.

Game 1, June 1st – Denver Strikes First

Let’s get into the details. The first game belonged to the Nuggets, which mattered to those who followed the Heat. They had won all their playoff opening games in 2023, so the lack of a strong start didn’t bode well for Miami. Add in that old stat that most game 1 Finals winners tend to take the whole thing, as mentioned by CBS, and things get interesting for Nugs fans.

Jokić got the most press, which was typical by this point but helped by the fact he scored a triple-double. With his 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds, Jamal Murray had his back with 26 points, and 10 assists. Together, they put 54 points on the board for a 104-93 finish by the end of the night.

Game 2, June 4th – Miami Hits Back

After missing out on that first game, Heat fans had good reason to be worried. The Heat’s journey to this year’s playoffs wasn’t easy, particularly the Eastern Conference postseason. They entered at 8th seed and had barely beat the Knicks (4-2 games) and the Celtics (4-3 games) to get here.

Jokic accounted for 41 points in this game but Miami’s best discounted him. Gabe Vincent led with 23 points while Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler followed close behind with 21 each. It may have taken three men but they pushed Nikola back and kept the score at 111-108. For most of the game, it looked as though the Heat had already lost. Then, a bit like game 1, they came back in the fourth quarter with a vengeance and this time it paid off. It was the kind of lightning in a bottle that you don’t get twice.

Game 3, June 7th and Game 4, June 9th – Denver Doubles Down

Games 3 and 4 quickly saw the Heat’s hopes demolished after a promising start to the week. Jokic, fresh from his game 1 triple-double, did it again. Then Murray followed suit, leading with 34 points and Jokic’s 32. Butler stepped up for the Heat with 28 points, but couldn’t compete. When the whistle sounded, Nugs won 58-33. It was their most crushing defeat yet.

Heat fans dreaded game 4 and what Jokic and Murray might pull out of the bag this time. Turns out, they should have had their eyes on Aaron Gordon who led the game with 27 points – his best play of the season. This time, their fourth-quarter slump didn’t happen, leaving no opening for Miami to crawl their way back. Nugs took this one 108-95.

Game 5, June 12th – Denver Takes It Home

What followed was one of the closest and most intense games of this match-up, as Denver pulled ahead of Miami just 94-89. On both sides, the usual point-scorers like Murray (14 points) or Butler (21) put in their best plays but nowhere near as high as their past performances. Even Gordon showed up with just 4 for this one.

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve guessed the exception already – Nikola Jokic stayed the course and wasn’t derailed, for a 28-point showing that also made him his 600th overall postseason point – an all-player NBA history-making record that guaranteed and earned his Finals MVP award.