The NBA Finals matchup for 2023 is decided. After defeating the Boston Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 of the series, the Miami Heat won the series and advanced to the Finals on Monday.
With 28 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, Jimmy Butler led the Heat. With 26 points and 10 rebounds, Caleb Martin also had a strong performance.
The Celtics won three straight games to force a Game 7, which Miami won to wrap up the series. Derrick White of Boston tipped in the game-winning shot on Saturday with 0.1 seconds remaining to keep the Celtics in the game. The Heat prevailed in the first three games of the series, including Game 3 by a score of 26 points.
In the Finals, the Heat will play Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. The Heat will be making their eighth appearance as a club and their first since the 2020 bubble season, while the Nuggets will be making their first-ever Finals appearance.
Here is all the information you require on the NBA Finals contest:
How did the Heat-Nuggets Fare During Regular Season?
- Dec. 30: Denver 124, Heat 119
- Jokic: 19 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists
- Butler: 17 points, 8 assists, 4 steals
- Feb. 13: Denver 112, Heat 108
- Jokic: 27 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists
- Butler: 24 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists
Is there a Rivalry Between the Heat and Nuggets?
The Heat and Nuggets, according to Butler, have no rivalry. “I don’t see that as a competition. It has good sound. But I don’t want to even start discussing it. Butler stated to Complex that Jokic is a “hell of a player” in February 2022.
But on November 8, 2021, a fight between the Nuggets and the Heat resulted in a suspension for Jokic and a fine for Butler. Following a tough foul by Markieff Morris (who is now playing for the Dallas Mavericks), Jokic shoved Morris from behind. Jokic’s perceived cheap shot infuriated Heat players, and Butler was heard urging Jokic to “bring your (expletive) to the back.” Following the game, Butler, Kyle Lowry, and Bam Adebayo were seen lined up outside the Nuggets’ locker room in a widely shared photo.
Jokic was dismissed from the contest and was suspended for one game. Morris was penalized $50,000 for his behavior, had a flagrant foul, and suffered whiplash that caused him to miss 58 games. Butler was given a technical foul and fined $30,000 “for refusing to comply with an NBA Security interview as part of the review process pertaining to an on-court matter and for attempting to escalate the altercation,” the league stated. However, it seems to be water beneath the bridge.
The 2023 NBA Finals Schedule
- Game 1: Nuggets vs. Heat | Thursday, June 1 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Game 2: Nuggets vs. Heat | Sunday, June 4 | 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Game 3: Heat vs. Nuggets | Wednesday, June 7 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Game 4: Heat vs. Nuggets | Friday, June 9 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Game 5: Nuggets vs. Heat | Monday, June 12 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) *
- Game 6: Heat vs. Nuggets | Thursday, June 15 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) *
- Game 7: Nuggets vs. Heat | Sunday, June 18 | 8 p.m. ET (ABC) *
