"A song of fire and ice" - NBA fans are pumped after the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets are set to face off in the Finals

After a week of waiting, the Denver Nuggets finally have the Miami Heat as their opponents in the upcoming NBA Finals. Denver eliminated the LA Lakers seven days ago and had to wait until Monday night for the winner of the Heat-Celtics Eastern Conference finals.

Fans reacted to the imminent battle between the last two teams standing in the playoffs:

"A song of fire and ice…"

Miami’s demolition of Boston meant it became the second eighth-seeded team to reach the championship round. The 1999 New York Knicks accomplished the same feat but lost to David Robinson, Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals. Jimmy Butler and crew will be hoping to go one step further this season.

The Denver Nuggets have held the best record in the Western Conference since late November. Nikola Jokic was putting on another MVP-level campaign. He nearly averaged a triple-double in the regular season.

Miami Heat v Denver Nuggets

As good as the Nuggets have been, many were doubting their postseason capability. The Phoenix Suns, Denver's semi-finals opponents, were considered the favorites to win the series. Jokic and co. dispatched them in six games.

A glaring lack of depth and Chris Paul's injury had many fans rooting for the LA Lakers in the Western Conference finals. The Denver Nuggets simply went about their business and swept LeBron James, the first time he lost 4-0 before reaching the NBA Finals.

Denver showed that it's not just a one-man show. The team has Jamal Murray, who was spectacular in the WCF, and the likes of Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and others.

Despite becoming the West champs, the Denver Nuggets were still out of the limelight. LeBron James' hint of retirement dominated the headlines. Denver will have a chip on their shoulders in the NBA Finals.

While the Western Conference was settled, the East was a different story. The Miami Heat raced to a 3-0 lead only to see the Boston Celtics win the next three.

When it mattered most, Erik Spoelstra's band of overachievers continued their fairy tale run. Behind six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler, they dethroned the East champs on their home floor.

The Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets were Conference finalists in 2020. Only Miami reached the big stage that year. This time, both will be in the championship round.

---

The Denver Nuggets are 6-0 against the Miami Heat in the last three seasons

The playoffs, the NBA Finals in particular, is on an entirely different level compared to the regular season. But the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat have only met pre-playoffs. Hence, this is the closest point of reference in comparing the two teams.

Over the last three years, the Nuggets are 6-0 against the Heat. Nikola Jokic averaged 23.0 points on 69.0% shooting, including 66.7% from three, to go with 12.0 rebounds and 10.0 assists this season.

In the Nuggets' 6-0 streak, he is putting up 22.2 PPG, 12.5 RPG and 8.5 APG. He will continue to be the biggest problem the Miami Heat will have to solve.

Jimmy Butler played only four games during that said Denver romp. He averaged 21.3 PPG, 8.5 APG, 6.0 RPG and 2.0 SPG. The Nuggets will throw "KCP," Bruce Brown and Michael Porter Jr. to try and slow him down.

The Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat will not be all about Nikola Jokic and Jimmy Butler. Both teams are well-coached and will out to prove they are deserving champions.

---