Western Conference champions Denver Nuggets will make it to the 2023 American Basketball League (NBA) finals to win their first trophy, while the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat will go to their fourth trophy.
The Nuggets, driven by Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, and the Heat, which includes important names such as Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, will meet in the 77th NBA Finals. The first game of the 2023 NBA finals series will start on Friday, June 2 at 03:30 CET.
The Nuggets, which have the field advantage, will host the first 2 games of the series, as the percentage of wins in the regular season is higher. The team, which won 4 matches in the series, will take the “Larry O’Brien Cup” given to the championship to its museum.
The Nuggets made another first in the club’s history by making it to the NBA Finals in the 2022-2023 season, when they participated in the play-offs for the first time as the Western Conference leader.
The Heat, which also includes the national basketball player Ömer Faruk Yurtseven in its squad, became the second team to reach the finals by participating in the play-offs from the 8th place after the New York Knicks, which achieved this in 1999.
The Heat have reached the finals 6 times in the last 13 years, and 7 times in total. Heat reached happy endings in 3 of 6 finals (2006, 2012, 2013).
NUGGETS DIFFICULT TO DEFEND
The Nuggets, which are the backbone of Jokic, who was chosen as the most valuable player of the regular season in 2021 and 2022, and Murray, who drew attention with his performance in the last quarters, stand out with their offensive statistics.
Leading the way in this field with 119.7 points per 100 offenses in the play-offs, the Nuggets became the most efficient offensive team since the Cleveland Cavaliers, which scored 122.1 points per 100 offenses until reaching the finals in 2017.
Jokic played the leading role in the Nuggets’ first NBA finals in their history, with play-off averages of 29.9 points, 13.3 rebounds, 10.3 assists, and Murray 27.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.5 rebounds.
The Nuggets, who are also the most effective team in the paint area of the play-offs with an average of 51.5 points, see 111.7 points in their hoop per 100 positions.
HEAT RELY ON 3-POINT BASKETS AND THEIR RESERVES
The Heat, who scored 116.1 points per 100 positions and scored 111.5 points in the play-offs, draws attention with his 3-point percentage and the performance of his substitutes.
The Heat, which has the highest 3-point hit rate of the play-offs with 39 percent, is the team that scores the most points from behind the 3-point line after the Boston Celtics (281) with 236 baskets.
Receiving 34.8 points per game from its substitutes, the Heat became the 3rd most successful team in the play-offs in this statistic.
The Heat’s all-star name Butler, who averaged 28.5 points, 7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.1 steals in the play-offs, will also know what to do with the defense of Aaron Gordon, who is taller and bigger than himself. will be decisive for the final series.
NUGGETS WON THE LAST 6 MATCHES
The Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1, the Phoenix Suns 4-2 and the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 in the play-offs, making their mark in the finals.
The Heat, on the other hand, beat the regular season leader Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, the New York Knicks 4-2 and last year’s finalist Boston Celtics 4-3.
The teams met twice this season. The Nuggets won both fights. The match on 30 December 2022 ended with 124-119, and the fight on 13 February with 112-108 Nuggets superiority.
The Nuggets also won 4 matches played in previous seasons. The Western Conference team has won 113-96 and 120-111 against the Heat in the 2021-2022 season, and 109-82 and 123-106 in the 2020-2021 season.
MATCH SCHEDULE
Game 1: Denver Nuggets v Miami Heat (Friday, June 2, 03:30 CET)
Game 2: Denver Nuggets v Miami Heat (Monday 5th June at 03:00 CEST)
Game 3: Miami Heat-Denver Nuggets (Thursday 8 June at 03:30 CEST)
Game 4: Miami Heat-Denver Nuggets (Saturday 10 June at 03:30 CEST)
Game 5 (if required): Denver Nuggets v Miami Heat (Tuesday, June 13, at 03:30 CEST)
Game 6 (if required): Miami Heat-Denver Nuggets (Friday 16 June at 03:30 CEST)
Game 7 (if required): Denver Nuggets v Miami Heat (Monday 19th June at 03:00 CEST)
THE “BEST” OF THE NBA FINALS
Teams with the most championships:
1. Los Angeles Lakers – 17
Boston Celtics – 17
2. Golden State Warriors – 7
3. Chicago Bulls – 6
Players with the most championship joy:
1. Bill Russell (Boston Celtics) – 11
2. Sam Jones (Boston Celtics) – 10
3. Tom Heinsohn (Boston Celtics) – 8
KC Jones (Boston Celtics) – 8
Tom Sanders (Boston Celtics) – 8
John Havlicek (Boston Celtics) – 8
Among those still playing, the players with the most championship joy are:
1. LeBron James (Miami Heat/Cleveland Cavaliers/Los Angeles Lakers) – 4
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala (Golden State Warriors) – 4
2. Udonis Haslem (Miami Heat) – 3
Patrick McCaw (Golden State Warriors/Toronto Raptors) – 3
Danny Green (San Antonio Spurs/Toronto Raptors/Los Angeles Lakers) – 3
JaVale McGee (Golden State Warriors/Los Angeles Lakers) – 3
Kevon Looney (Golden State Warriors) – 3
Champions of the last 20 years
2022: Golden State Warriors-Boston Celtics (4-2)
2021: Milwaukee Bucks-Phoenix Suns (4-2)
2020: Los Angeles Lakers-Miami Heat (4-2)
2019: Toronto Raptors-Golden State Warriors (4-2)
2018: Golden State Warriors-Cleveland Cavaliers (4-0)
2017: Golden State Warriors-Cleveland Cavaliers (4-1)
2016: Cleveland Cavaliers-Golden State Warriors (4-3)
2015: Golden State Warriors-Cleveland Cavaliers (4-2)
2014: San Antonio Spurs-Miami Heat (4-1)
2013: Miami Heat-San Antonio Spurs (4-3)
2012: Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1)
2011: Dallas Mavericks-Miami Heat (4-2)
2010: Los Angeles Lakers-Boston Celtic (4-3)
2009: Los Angeles Lakers-Orlando Magic (4-1)
2008: Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers (4-2)
2007: San Antonio Spurs-Cleveland Cavaliers (4-0)
2006: Miami Heat-Dallas Mavericks (4-2)
2005: San Antonio Spurs-Detroit Pistons (4-3)
2004: Detroit Pistons vs Los Angeles Lakers (4-1)
2003: San Antonio Spurs-New Jersey Nets (4-2)