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Two teams looking to bounce back from losses this week will clash on Wednesday night when the Denver Nuggets welcome the Miami Heat to the Ball Arena.
In pursuit of an automatic playoff berth, the Miami Heat are looking back to their best recently, winning six of their past ten matchups and having the sixth-best defense in that time.
However, they were blown out by the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night and were limited to just 86 points. Jimmy Butler did have a worrying moment during the 4th quarter in which he looked to have twisted his ankle. The Miami Heat star did play on, although he could well be a game-time decision.
The Denver Nuggets had their own injury woes this week when superstar point guard Jamal Murray was ruled out for the season.
He would have been crucial to the Denver Nuggets' playoff hopes, therefore fans will be concerned as to where their chances now lie. Monte Morris and Facundo Campazzo are expected to step up in Murray's place, while the rest of Denver's starting lineup will have to contribute more.
Miami Heat vs Denver Nuggets Prediction
This is expected to be a thrilling affair even without the Denver Nuggets backcourt star. Nikola Jokic will have a tough battle on his hands against one of the league's other elite centers - Bam Adebayo. Meanwhile, the leader of the Miami Heat's defense, Jimmy Butler, will be tasked with stopping the Nuggets' new-look frontcourt of Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon.
The Miami Heat's tightening up on defense will be crucial in facing a Denver Nuggets side that has ranked 5th for points per night all season. On the other end, the Nuggets have also improved, leading them to earn a +/- of 5.5 in their recent 10-game run which also ranks them 5th in the league.
Undoubtedly, the Denver Nuggets will be rattled by the loss of Murray for the season and how they will make up for his points is yet unknown. However, with home-court advantage and a higher array of scoring options that have been more consistent than the Miami Heat's, the Nuggets should take home a narrow victory.
Let's take a look at how a combined five between the two rosters would shape up.
Miami Heat vs Denver Nuggets - Combined 5
Point Guard - Will Barton | Shooting Guard - Duncan Robinson | Small Forward - Michael Porter Jr. | Power Forward - Jimmy Butler | Center- Nikola Jokic.
We have decided to go for experience to lead our hypothetical combined five between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets starters. Jamal Murray would have slotted straight into our side, though in his absence we have gone with the Nuggets' Will Barton.
Although usually deployed in the frontcourt, Barton has been utilized alongside Murray on countless occasions this season, particularly after Aaron Gordon arrived at the franchise. He is averaging 12.8 points a night and has shot the ball at 43%. In the Denver Nuggets recent run of form, Barton has, in fact, upped his numbers across the board and will be crucial as a veteran head in the season's run-in.
Barton is joined by Duncan Robinson in our combined backcourt. The Miami Heat sharpshooter has been one of their most reliable players this season, featuring in every fixture but one and has produced an effective field-goal percentage of 61.3%. Although his shooting numbers are down on last season, Robinson remains the Heat's weapon from beyond the arc and came up clutch in their postseason run last year.
Moving into the frontcourt, we have the Miami Heat's leader on both ends of the court - Jimmy Butler. After his worrying ankle twist in the 4th quarter of Tuesday night's game, the forward played on and downplayed the severity in his post-match interview with the media.
Butler is having another stellar season for the Miami Heat, averaging 21.4 points and 7.1 assists on the offensive end while he leads the league in steals with 2.1 per game on the defensive end. He is also averaging a career-high 7.1 rebounds per matchup and is shooting at his most prolific rate from the field - 49.4%.
He is creating a highly efficient partnership with Bam Adebayo and the two could lead the Miami Heat to another shock Finals appearance given their ability on both sides of the ball. Adebayo doesn't quite make the cut for our combined five, however, given Nikola Jokic's form this season for the Denver Nuggets.
The Serbian center has been lethal for the Denver Nuggets. He is the perfect example of a modern-day big man in the NBA, averaging close to a triple-double in every game and shoots the three-ball at 41.8% off 3.4 attempts. Among the league's elite centers, Jokic ranks top for assists, is in the top-3 for points, steals and +/- and leads the league in win share with a staggering 11.8.
Completing our lineup is another member of the Denver Nuggets frontcourt, Michael Porter Jr., who is averaging almost double his points and rebounds per night from last year. The 22-year-old has stepped up massively this campaign, picking up from where he left off in the bubble.
With Murray out, Porter Jr. will become the Nuggets' second port of call for points and should expect more than his current 12.5 field-goal attempts per night.
Guess the Lakers players!
