NBA Finals 2023: Denver Nuggets v Miami Heat - five things to look for as history beckons

Nikola Jokic was named Most Valuable Player for the Western Conference Finals, aft being the play MVP successful 2021 and 2022

"This is going to beryllium the biggest situation of our lives. This is the NBA Finals."

Top seeds successful the Western Conference, Denver are favourites having powered done the play-offs to scope the Finals for the archetypal clip successful their 56-year history.

Meanwhile, Miami's play-off run was astir implicit earlier it began arsenic the three-time champions mislaid their archetypal crippled of the play-in tournament.

They survived, and 2 months later, the Eastern Conference's eighth effect besides person a accidental to make past aft a singular tally done the play-offs.

The NBA Finals are scheduled for 1-18 June, with the archetypal crippled successful Denver, unrecorded connected BBC One.

But who are the cardinal men and wherefore is tennis prima Coco Gauff hoping the best-of-seven bid goes the distance?

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Two-time MVP Jokic 'torches' opposition

Denver selected Serbia's Nikola Jokic 41st wide successful the 2014 draft. Since then, the Nuggets person developed into title contenders, with Jokic becoming the look of the franchise.

A ascendant 6ft 11in centre, the 28-year-old was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player successful 2021 and 2022, and manager Malone says Jokic takes much joyousness from creating for team-mates than scoring himself.

"He is virtually a wizard connected the court," Denver guardant Zeke Nnaji told the BBC. "He sees everything, helium has eyes successful the backmost of his head.

"His IQ is disconnected the charts, and it's large due to the fact that helium goes against guys who are stronger, much athletic, and helium perfectly torches them.

"He conscionable has unthinkable patience that no-one tin unreserved him," Nnaji added. "If you effort to double-team him, helium knows wherever everyone is and makes the close pass.

"He doesn't person to look astatine you, he'll walk it to you close wherever you request it, truthful helium is genuinely unthinkable to watch."

Denver person a 12-3 grounds successful this year's play-offs and won some games with Miami successful the regular season. Jokic has averaged a triple-double crossed each those games.

How bash you halt Jokic?

Miami are expected to task rival large antheral Bam Adebayo with containing Jokic, but the Serb said: "It's not Bam against maine oregon anybody against anybody. It's Denver against Miami.

"We are getting everybody involved, we similar to play squad basketball. I deliberation that's wherefore it's going to beryllium interesting."

Long-serving Miami manager Erik Spoelstra said: "I don't deliberation there's immoderate mentation of a 'stopper' successful this association.

"We person to marque things tough, get him retired of his comfortableness zone, and fig retired a mode to get the occupation done regardless."

Asked what is cardinal to slowing down Jokic, Miami prima Jimmy Butler replied: "Guarding him arsenic a squad with each 5 guys.

"We're going to person to beryllium successful the gaps, to pack rebound. We can't person antiaircraft lapses, we're going to person to fastener in."

Is 'play-off Jimmy' real?

Like Jokic, Jimmy Butler came into the NBA arsenic an unheralded draught imaginable aft being selected 30th wide by the Chicago Bulls successful 2011.

While his endowment was clear, determination were question marks implicit his enactment benignant and helium was moved connected by 3 teams successful speedy succession.

But with Miami the tiny guardant has go known arsenic 'play-off Jimmy' for his inclination to rise his crippled successful the post-season.

Asked astir his nickname aft scoring a team-record 56 points successful the archetypal circular of this year's play-offs, helium said: "It's not a thing."

The stats suggest otherwise. In 4 years with Miami helium has led the Heat to the Finals twice, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers successful 2020, and successful 3 of those seasons his mean for points per crippled has been higher successful the post-season.

Described arsenic a "warrior" by Denver manager Michael Malone, the 33-year-old was named MVP for the Eastern Conference Finals aft scoring a game-high 28 points arsenic the Heat held disconnected a Boston Celtics fightback to triumph the bid 4-3.

At the commencement of the play-offs, Miami's likelihood to triumph the NBA rubric were 150-1 - the longest of immoderate squad to scope the Finals since the NBA merged with the ABA successful 1976.

Led by Butler, the Heat person go the archetypal play-in squad to scope the Finals and conscionable the 2nd eighth effect to scope this signifier - aft the 1999 New York Knicks, who mislaid to the San Antonio Spurs.

Undrafted players proving doubters wrong

Both Jokic and Butler bring the champion retired of a supporting formed of 'role players'.

Caleb Martin has been the astir awesome for Miami, starring a radical of undrafted players including Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Duncan Robinson.

Seven undrafted players person played for the Heat successful the play-offs and 52% of their points against Boston were scored by undrafted players - some figures the highest for a Finals squad since 1966.

The Heat are conscionable the 3rd squad successful 35 seasons to scope the Finals contempt being underdogs successful each of their archetypal 3 play-off series, aft the 1999 Knicks and the 1995 Houston Rockets, who upset the Orlando Magic.

"It's lined up to beryllium a large competition," said Spoelstra, who led the Heat to their past 2 NBA titles successful 2012 and 2013.

"In immoderate ways, it's a reflector representation series, not successful presumption of style, but with teams that astir apt person been overlooked, underestimated, and person built a spot connected their enarthrosis implicit that."

Gauff receives Butler invite

Tennis prima Coco Gauff, who lives successful Florida, has besides revealed the content which has driven Miami's play-off run.

After her first-round triumph astatine the French Open connected Tuesday, the 19-year-old said Butler offered her tickets for the play-offs but she was successful Europe for the clay-court season.

Butler replied: "OK, erstwhile we marque the finals, fto maine cognize if your household wants immoderate tickets."

When, not if. The Heat are present there, of course, and adjacent if Gauff makes it to the Paris final, she could marque it location for crippled six successful Miami.