Breaking Down The 2023 NBA Finals
Denver Nuggets won the first championship in their franchise history when they defeated Miami Heat 4-1 in the NBA Finals. Only five games were needed, as Denver were dominant across the series.
The number one seed from the Western Conference had victories over Minnesota (4-1), Phoenix (4-2), and LA Lakers (4-0) to book their spot in the NBA Finals. The latter was a clean sweep, with more details about their four wins on the Guardian report.
Miami, on the other hand, was the number eight seed in the playoffs, and they prevailed against Atlanta (116-105) and Chicago (102-91) in single matches to book their place in the first round of the postseason. Heat then defeated Milwaukee (4-1), New York (4-2), and Boston (4-3) in an impressive run of victories.
In game one of the NBA Finals, Denver got off to a winning start in front of their home supporters at the Ball Arena, prevailing 104-93. They won the opening three-quarters of that game. Nikola Jokic top scored with 97 points.
Miami leveled the series in game two, winning a tight contest 111-108. Gabe Vincent was the star of the game for the Heat, recording 23 points. They trailed by 15 points at one stage in that contest. A big fourth quarter helped the visitors, as they won it 36-25.
In game three in Florida, Jokic and Jamal Murray both scored a 30-point triple-double, becoming the first teammates in NBA history to do that. Denver came out on top 109-94 to go in front again in the series.
Denver went within one game of the NBA Championship when they prevailed 108-95 in game four. This time it was Aaron Gordon who was in hot form in front of the basket. He finished with a game-high 27 points.
On their return to Colorado, the Nuggets won game five 94-89. They were not at their best in the contest, but they did what was needed to get their hands on the trophy.
Jokic Named NBA Finals MVP
His performance in game five was probably enough to tip the NBA Finals MVP Award in Jokic’s favor. He scored 28 points and had 16 rebounds in that championship-winning game. The Serbian scored heavily across all six games of the series.
His performance in game five was probably enough to tip the NBA Finals MVP Award in Jokic’s favor. He scored 28 points and had 16 rebounds in that championship-winning game. The Serbian scored heavily across all six games of the series.
With the award, Jokic became the first center to be named the NBA Finals MVB since Shaquille O’Neal in 2002. He also picked up the NBA MVP award for his consistency across the regular season. That was the second time he has been given that honor, as he also won the prize in 2021.
Nuggets Will Look to Do It Again In 2024
As of June 18, Denver are the +450 favorite in the NBA betting to defend their championship in the 2023/24 campaign. They will be bidding to become the first back-to-back winners since the Golden State Warriors in 2018.
The Nuggets are set to retain all their leading stars in the offseason, which will help their bid to win the NBA Finals for a second time in 2024. During Golden State’s domination in the late 2010s, they had Steph Curry at his best and they were able to tie the Warriors’ player to a new contract.
Jokic is arguably the best player in the NBA right now, and he will be looking to win a third NBA MVP award, something only eight players in history have achieved before, including Hornets owner Michael Jordan.
Denver will also be looking to add to their roster in the NBA Draft. This is their chance to select some of the best players from college basketball.
Challengers to Denver Next Season
Boston Celtics are expected to be the leading challengers to Denver next season. They missed out on the NBA Finals after losing a decider in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Atlantic Division winners finished second in the Eastern Conference standings in the 2022/23 campaign, with a 57-25 record.
As you can read in the BBC report, the Celtics were runners-up in the 2022 NBA Finals, so they have been knocking on the door over the last couple of years. If they continue to reach the latter stages of the playoffs, their luck may change in 2024.
Milwaukee Bucks are another Eastern Conference team that should put up a challenge to Denver for the championship next season. They had an excellent regular season, winning 58 games and losing just 24. Despite having the number one seed in the playoffs, they could not get past the first round last season.
The 2023/24 NBA season will begin in October, with the NBA Finals in 2024 scheduled to take place in June.