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The Miami Heat juggernaut rolls to Mile High City to take on reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
After a close win over the Utah Jazz, Erik Spoelstra’s team will be hoping to build another winning streak at the expense of the Denver Nuggets. Miami has been excellent on both ends of the floor this season.
Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, P.J. Tucker and Kyle Lowry are perhaps the most bruising and tough defensive quartet in the NBA right now. Except for that devastating loss against the Boston Celtics, teams have had a long night against the Miami Heat defense so far this season.
Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic is single-handedly holding the Denver Nuggets together this season. The MVP is leading the team in all meaningful statistics. Still missing the services of Jamal Murray, it’s hard to fathom where the Nuggets would be without the all-world play of their superstar center.
The rest of the Denver Nuggets’ roster should come up with much better intensity, effort and execution if they are to compete. Although their defense is about as good as the Miami Heat’s, their offense has to be on point to keep their campaign afloat.
Match Details
Fixture: Miami Heat vs Denver Nuggets | 2021-22 NBA season.
Date & Time: Monday, November 8th; 9:00 PM ET (Tuesday, November 9th; 7:30 PM IST).
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, CO.
Miami Heat Preview
The lopsided loss against the Boston Celtics was seemingly a blip in the Miami Heat’s performance. They edged the Utah Jazz in their last game with a display that was more like what the NBA has seen this season. The Heat will be an acid test for Mike Malone’s team even on Denver’s home floor.
One thing that has been overlooked this season is the Miami Heat’s rebounding, which has led to more possessions for them. Last year, they ranked 29th in the league with 41.5 rebounds as a team. This year, they top the league with 50.3 rebounds by a considerably wide margin over the Utah Jazz.
Miami’s dominance in rebounding, paired with their top 5 offense and defense ratings make them a pain to play against. How the Denver Nuggets’ bottom five offense deals with this dominant defense and rebounding will be critical in this game.
Key Player - Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler dropped 27 points on the Utah Jazz along with six assists and three rebounds in 36 minutes of all-out action. Butler is averaging a career-best 24.7 points and a spectacular 61.7% true shooting percentage this season. His plays, as ordinary as they look, often light a fire under Miami’s belly.
While the new rules have caused worries for some of the NBA’s best players, the five-time All-Star is thriving in them. There has been no adjustment in how Jimmy Butler gets to his spots on the floor or goes about his shots. The Miami Heat team has taken on the scrappy and gritty identity of its best player.
Predicted Lineup
G - Kyle Lowry | G - Duncan Robinson | F - Jimmy Butler | F - P.J. Tucker | C - Bam Adebayo.
Denver Nuggets Preview
The Denver Nuggets' offense has struggled all season long and it's evident in their 26th ranked offensive rating. Their 116.3 offensive rating has plummeted to 101.6. The disastrous performance on offense is not just because of Jamal Murray’s absence.
Michael Porter Jr., who was supposed to take the big leap this year, has been horrible. He has gone from 19.9 PPG last campaign to a head-shaking 9.9 PPG this season. The Denver Nuggets have just not been able to count on him when they need him the most.
Even more worrying is his shooting efficiency, which is just dreadful. The third-year guard is shooting 20.8% from deep and 35.9% from the field. His stellar 66.3% true shooting percentage has crashed to 41.6% this season. The Denver Nuggets, just to tread water, are risking a Nikola Jokic burnout before the year ends.
The Denver Nuggets’ saving grace is their exemplary defense, which ranks them second just behind the Golden State Warriors. They will need the offense to click against the Miami Heat on Monday.
Key Player - Nikola Jokic
According to coach Mike Malone, everything falls apart when the MVP sits down. He has been so good that he can easily make the argument for the best two-way big in the NBA right now. It can be recalled that one of the criticisms against Nikola Jokic was his middling defense.
This season, the Denver Nuggets have a defensive rating of 92.7 when he’s playing and 111.4 when he rests. He’s averaging a career-high in rebounds, steals and blocks. Often called slow, Jokic is one of the best right now at guarding the pick-and-roll.
The Denver Nuggets outscore opponents by 35.8 points when he plays and they’re getting hammered by 21.6 points when Malone takes him out. It’s safe to say that Nikola Jokic is playing better than last season’s MVP performance.
Denver Nuggets Predicted Lineup
G - Monte Morris | G - Will Barton | F - Michael Porter Jr. | F - Aaron Gordon | C - Nikola Jokic.
Heat vs Nuggets Prediction
The Miami Heat play no-holds-barred basketball with a defense that seems unaffected by the home team’s rowdy crowd. Additionally, their offense has been splendid with all the basketball IQ on the floor, particularly with the team's first unit.
The Denver Nuggets' current formula of top-shelf defense that is tied up with an inefficient offense is good enough for some teams. It’s a formula that is unlikely to work against the Miami Heat in the form that they are playing right now.
If Michael Porter Jr., Will Barton and Aaron Gordon fail to live up to their end of the bargain, this could be a blowout for the Miami Heat.
Where to watch Heat vs Bulls
The Bally Sports Sun Florida and Alt Games will cover the game between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets live locally. The NBA League Pass will also feature the game on a live stream.
Guess the Lakers players!
