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The 2023 NBA Finals are set with the Denver Nuggets taking on the Miami Heat for the championship. The Nuggets won the season series 2-0 and have homecourt advantage in this matchup. Game 1 is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 1 in Denver. That game, along with the rest of the series, will air on ABC.
The Nuggets were the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and breezed through the competition with minimal resistance. Denver didn’t lose a single home game during the playoffs, taking out contending teams in the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers on the way to the Finals. Nikola Jokic might not have three-peated as the regular season MVP, but he’s now going for the big prize. Jokic is on a historic triple-double run in the playoffs and has routinely been the best player on the floor. Jamal Murray has exploded as a scorer in the postseason as well, while Denver’s role players are stepping up in big moments. This is Denver’s first trip to the Finals, and the team hopes it will be a happy one.
The Heat had to go through the play-in tournament and nearly were eliminated, needing a 15-1 run to defeat the Bulls to grab the No. 8 seed in the East. With a new lease on the season, the Heat turned things up and went past the No. 1, No. 5 and No. 2 seeds in the conference. Jimmy Butler will draw all the headlines for his heroics, but the supporting cast deserves some credit too. Butler’s production and clutch moments are a big reason for Miami’s run but Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Caleb Martin have delivered timely shots as well. Even with Tyler Herro sidelined, the Heat have not missed a beat. Can they take the final step and become the first No. 8 seed to win the Finals?