When is Game 2 of NBA Finals 2023? Date, time, results so far and more

Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets will be on Sunday, June 4, 2023. The second game of the series will be held at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. ABC will air the game on national TV starting at 8:00 PM ET.

The two-day break will be much-needed for the Heat, who were dragged by the Boston Celtics to a seven-game series in the previous round.

Denver had a nine-day wait before the series opener while Miami had a quick turnaround of two days.

Mile High City is 5,280 feet above sea level, a fact that is drilled into the minds of opponents when they’re moving around the metropolis. The same reminder is painted on the Nuggets' home floor to put even more pressure on visiting teams who are not familiar with the sometimes lung-crushing altitude.

The Heat could use the days between Games 1 and 2 to figure out how to stop the Denver Nuggets' offense. Nikola Jokic took just five shots entering the third quarter in Game 1 but Denver still had full control. The two-time MVP scored 12 points in the pivotal period to lead the Nuggets to their first win in NBA Finals history.

The “Joker” was more than a willing passer, allowing Aaron Gordon, who was usually matched up against smaller defenders, to dominate the paint. “AG” was 7-9 in the first half. Jokic had 10 points and 10 assists after the first 24 minutes of Game 1.

Jamal Murray, who has raised his level of play dramatically in the NBA playoffs, got going as well. He finished with 26 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. Jokic and Murray combined for 24 assists and were responsible for 87 of the Nuggets' 104 points.

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The Miami Heat need to find their legs in the NBA Finals

Except for Bam Adebayo, everyone on the Miami Heat roster seemed a step too slow in Game 1. Jimmy Butler had a sluggish performance, finishing with 13 points, his lowest in this year’s playoffs. He did have seven rebounds, seven assists and one steal though. Nevertheless, it wasn’t the kind of performance that basketball fans have come to expect from Miami’s leader.

Caleb Martin, who nearly won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, was 1-7. Max Strus and Duncan Robinson combined to hit 1-14 from behind the arc.

Miami started the fourth quarter with an 11-0 run. They eventually cut down the deficit to nine points with a little over three minutes left in the game. The Denver Nuggets, with Nikola Jokic leading the way, had an answer to their rally.

Game 2 on Sunday will be a big test to see if the Miami Heat have acclimated to the Denver Nuggets’ unseen advantage.

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