The Miami Heat finally answered back, beating the Denver Nuggets, leveling up the series at 1-1. After a dominating Game 1 performance by the Nuggets, the Heat took notes to take away Denver’s home-court advantage.
Miami seems to be the underdog in this contest, though looking at their previous series versus some of the best teams, competing with the Nuggets won’t be a problem. With Game 3 scheduled in Miami, the Heat will hold the home-court advantage for the next two games.
The Nuggets held control of Game 2 until the Heat overcame a 15-point deficit, which was followed by another one of the Nuggets’ runs. In the end, Jamal Murray had to opportunity to send the game to overtime, though he couldn’t. This was Denver’s first loss at home this postseason.
Not only that, but the Nuggets hadn’t lost a home game since March. Going into the fourth quarter, the Nuggets had an 8-point lead, as the Heat outscored them, 36-25 to take the game.
For Denver, they’ll have to do a better job closing out the game. When playing against Miami, the Nuggets should not take any chances, as this team can make the longest comebacks. The Heat can hold the momentum for a long stretch, making incredible runs to ruin their opponent’s flow.
Looking at their roster, Miami has more depth than Denver, having their bench players step up when needed the most. Before we dive into the prediction, here is a look at the expected roster.
Miami Heat starting lineups
• Gabe Vincent
• Max Strus
• Jimmy Butler
• Caleb Martin
• Bam Adebayo
Denver Nuggets starting lineups
• Jamal Murray
• Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
• Michael Porter Jr.
• Aaron Gordon
• Nikola Jokic
Will the Miami Heat take control of the series before Game 5?
With the next two games scheduled for South Beach, the Heat will have quite some advantage ahead of their next game in Denver. Though the Nuggets don’t seem to be in a form to lose two games in a row.
Going into Game 3, Murray will have to give his all. Jokic led the team in scoring, putting up 41 points and 11 rebounds in Game 2, whereas Jamal had 18 points and 10 assists. His contribution was as crucial, though scoring-wise, Murray will have to step up in the next game.
On the other hand, Jimmy Butler who was putting up 30+ points a night, seems to have taken some load off, as his teammates have the scoring under control. Despite Martin not being well in Game 3, players like Duncan Robinson put in quite some effort to lift the team victorious. Looking at the statistics as well as the previous game’s performance, Game 3 would be a close one, with Miami edging out to take the series lead.