Heat vs Nuggets Game 2 Preview: The Butler Didn’t Do It
Joker Looked Rusty and Still Did It! He and Murray Ready to Replicate Game 1 Success
Denver Still Unbeaten at Ball Arena
The Denver Nuggets maintained their unbeaten home run in the playoffs in Game 1 and will look to replicate that success here in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Let’s dive into our Heat vs Nuggets Game 2 Preview and see what value is on offer for bettors.
Nikola Jokic once again showcased his array of talents in Game 1 as the Heat struggled to find an answer for his presence and playmaking inside the paint. The two-time MVP finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists as he notched his 9th triple-double of the playoffs.
Jamal Murray also took advantage of the space left for him with 26 points and 10 assists to his name.
Meanwhile, the Heat finally saw regression from their role players as Caleb Martin, Max Strus and Duncan Robinson combined to shoot 1-for-18 from the field in Game 1. They also didn’t get near enough from Jimmy Butler, who finished with just 13 points on 14 field goal attempts.
The NBA odds market remains bullish on the Nuggets, with Denver sitting as 9.0-point favorites for Game 2. The full game total has moved down to 214.5 points, but has already received strong support toward the Over after opening at 213.5 points.
Heat vs Nuggets 
Date & Time:
Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Streaming: ABC
Denver’s Offense, Diverse
In case it wasn’t already abundantly clear heading by this point the Denver Nuggets served a nice reminder of just how loaded their offense is on any given night.
The Nuggets shot just 29.6% from 3-point range in Game 1 despite creating a multitude of open looks on the perimeter.
In fact, Denver was projected to score 12 more points from 3-point range based on their expected points in this game. That’s a worry for Miami, who trailed by double digits for almost the entirety of Game 1.
The issue for Miami starts with the mismatch the Jokic provides inside. His size is too much for Bam Adebayo to handle on his own and his playmaking is such that he easily passes out of double-teams to find the wide open man on the perimeter.
When they weren’t doubling from the weakside they were trying to trap him on the entry pass and the result was wide open dunks for Aaron Gordon in the dunker spot as he helped himself to 16 points on 10 field goal attempts.
It seems the Nuggets will always have answers for whatever defensive scheme the Heat might throw at them. Playing through the post will constantly create mismatches and wide open looks, which will continue to provide high points totals for them and positive expected points to match.
Heat Need Adjustments On and Off Court
Coach Erik Spoelstra will undoubtedly have something up his sleeve for Game 2 to give his side a needed spark, but the off court adjustments are going to be just as crucial for a team that looked tired.
Denver’s altitude is a tough adjustments at the best of times and the rest between games will be crucial for Miami to find a foothold in this series and show that they can make this a series.
Their shooters struggled to find any rhythm in Game 1 and adjusting to the off court environments could bear fruit on the court in Game 2.
Miami shot 33.3% from deep in Game 1, which was well below their NBA playoff average to date. They too were expected to score better from beyond the arc and had a final projected total of 102.4 points.
While that output alone isn’t enough to keep up with Denver on the road it does highlight that there’s notable room for improvement even without needing to make drastic on-court adjustments.
Spoelstra’s defensive tweaks are likely to show up in Game 3 when the team returns home and while we aren’t expecting some NBA records to tumble from Miami’s shooters we can expect them to be far more in tune when the opportunity arises.
The Heat simply looked out ideas on defense at the moment and it’s hard to make a case for them stealing a game on the road. That said, their offense should find far more success in Game 2 and that over adjustment on the total has created great value on the full game Over.
That’s all for our Heat vs Nuggets Game 2 Preview. Be sure to check back for all our NBA Finals coverage and analysis.
Follow us on Twitter
