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2023 NBA Finals: Can Denver Nuggets win their first ring? Will Miami Heat spoil the party?

The Miami Heat snatched victory in the dying minutes of Game Two to level their NBA Finals series with the Denver Nuggets; Game Three is set to unfold live on Sky Sports Arena and Sky Sports Mix from 1:30m on June 8.

NBA Finals - Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat - credit AP Photo/Getty

Denver Nuggets take on Miami Heat in the NBA Finals; it's the top seed in the Western Conference against a Play-In tournament winner. Game Three is set to unfold live on Sky Sports Arena and Sky Sports Mix from 1:30am on June 8.

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo combined to orchestrate a comeback for the ages in Game Two of the NBA Finals, levelling the series 1-1.

Will Denver recuperate their losses and return bigger and better than ever, or are Miami peaking at the right time? Let's look at the key talking points below...

Denver's selfless squad

While Jokic and Jamal Murray are considered crucial to offence, the Nuggets wouldn't be where they are without building a squad full of steely defenders and sharpshooters capable of filling in when called upon.

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Highlights of Game 2 between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals, where Miami Heat even the series with a late flurry in the 4th quarter.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has orchestrated this by deploying his players at specific junctions to help the core team flex their muscles.

It means that while most teams are scrambling to experiment with their rosters, Denver's plans have worked out perfectly. That much was evident in Game One, as the core three seamlessly combined on attacking and passing plays.

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A look at Denver Nugget's Nikola Jokic's 27-point triple double in Game One of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat

They weren't the only contributors to that impressive win.

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Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr, Bruce Brown, Aaron Gordon, and Jeff Green have all featured as the best starting five of the year, with a +74.6 net rating. Although this line-up hasn't played together often, they have synced up seamlessly in critical moments throughout the postseason, adapting to the circumstances around them.

Caldwell-Pope and Porter Jr. have been crucial in clutch moments alongside Gordon and Green, who have effortlessly stormed opposition defenses.

All in all, despite the Heat's recent resurgence, they will have much more to worry about than just Jokic or Murray. If Malone's proposals pan out as expected, the Nuggets will bounce back in Game 3.

This isn't Miami's first stint in the finals

Miami might not have the same roster depth as Denver, especially with three-point specialist Tyler Herro still recovering from a broken hand. But what they do have in abundance is experience.

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The best of the action from Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals between Miami Heat and Boston Celtics

Indeed, three players on the team have won the championship before. Kevin Love won it with Cleveland, and Kyle Lowry picked up his first ring with Toronto. Udonis Haslem has been a part of all three title-winning ventures and will likely retire at the end of the postseason.

Only Caldwell-Pope earned that right on Denver's end with the Los Angeles Lakers at the NBA's restart bubble in 2020.

Green did play beside Love in his title-winning year, but aside from that, most players on the Nuggets team will be seeking their first ring, while others on the Heat's bench look to add to an existing tally.

That experience also drifts back to the coaching staff, given that Erik Spoelstra has led the Heat to six NBA finals appearances since 2011.

This past week of action has proved that he can coach his team to victory despite obstacles. First, however, he must rely on every last iota of wisdom and knowledge to surpass Denver's dominance in Game 1.

Nuggets' extended rest period

While the Heat had to play seven games to bookmark their place in the NBA finals, the Nuggets breezed past the Lakers in four games and had a considerable amount of time to rest and recover.

Indeed, the Nuggets had a nine-day break between their last Conference finals game, and the opening game of the NBA Finals. That time away was likely good for healing bumps, bruises, tired muscles, and weary minds.

Although the Heat have insisted there's no fatigue on their part, they looked substantially wearier in Game 1 as they adapted to the change in altitude.

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Highlights of the Denver Nuggets against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals

Sure, the team spent an extra 10 hours in Denver, opting to travel immediately after the win over the Boston Celtics, against recommendation. But it's obvious that there are still some cobwebs left to clear.

All the while, Malone and his men have been growing in strength. They might've fallen in this latest matchup, but they'll be looking to spin a web and trap their opposition in Game 3.

Don't write off the Heat just yet

The Heat seem to like living dangerously this season. Why else would they throw away a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals versus the Celtics and then go on to clinch the series in Game Seven?

Well, because that's been the theme of their season. Not only have Miami taken 27 per cent of their shots in the last seven seconds of games, but they've also played 64 games where they've needed five points in the last five minutes.

They tried to emulate that feat in Game One against the Nuggets, but fell short of the target score. It all came to fruition in Game Two, as once again, Spoelstra's players left it very late to snatch a 111-108 win.

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Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler is confident about their chances of overcoming the Denver Nuggets to win the NBA title

Combine that with the fact that they also have three wins in the playoffs when trailing by double digits in the fourth quarter, and looking ahead, you won't want to count them out.

If things go pear-shaped, it might fall on Butler again to rescue his team in the game's dying minutes. But, one thing's for sure, they won't want it any other way.

Watch Game Three live on Sky Sports Arena and Sky Sports Main Event from 1:30am on June 8.

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