The Denver Nuggets have had more than a week of rest ahead of the NBA Finals. The Miami Heat needed seven games to advance to face the Nuggets. Will the Nuggets be rusty? Will the Heat have any legs left? Game 1 of the NBA Finals (8:30 p.m. ET Thursday) will answer one of the top questions of the series.
Another big concern is how the Heat will stop two-time MVP Nikola Jokić. Bam Adebayo will be key to that equation, but expect Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to pull out some creative defenses.
The Heat famously have a supporting cast of undrafted players, and no one stepped up more than Caleb Martin in the East finals. Martin, and others, will be key to how the Heat handle a Nuggets team that built around the margins to form a title contender.
And, of course, there will be a discussion about legacies after all is said and done. Jokić already has hardware, but a ring would solidify him among the league’s greatest. Jimmy Butler leading an eighth-seeded Heat to a title in a season with no real splash would almost be unprecedented. Would it make him a first-ballot Hall of Famer?
The best-of-seven series begins Thursday. Settle in, and follow along with Yahoo Sports.
What: NBA Finals, Game 1
Who: Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets
When: 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday
Where: Ball Arena, Denver
TV: ABC
Schedule:
Game 2: At Denver, 8 p.m. ET Sunday (ABC)
Game 3: At Miami, 8:30 p.m. ET June 7 (ABC)
Game 4: At Miami, 8:30 p.m. ET June 9 (ABC)
*Game 5: At Denver, 8:30 p.m. ET June 12 (ABC)
*Game 6: At Miami, 8:30 p.m. ET June 15 (ABC)
*Game 7: At Denver, 8 p.m. ET June 18 (ABC)
* – if necessary
Follow NBA Finals, Game 1: Heat at Nuggets
