After a tough loss in Game 4 against the Nuggets, which left the Heat with a 3-1 disadvantage, Erik Spoelstra gave a simple message to his team. ‘Feel whatever you want tonight,’ he said. ‘It’s important that you don’t sleep much. I don’t think any of us will.
We’ve always been a competitive group, so we’re approaching this like we did with everything up to this point, the hard way. Our top priority is getting things back to the 305, back to Miami. A quick shift could happen, but first, we need to deal with a tough one in Denver.’
The Heat hasn’t lost their confidence during the playoffs, despite being underdogs, and continue to face challenges in the NBA Finals. However, the numbers tell the story, and Miami will have an uphill battle to climb against Denver away from home in Game 5.
It’s not a good look for the Heat, and it should give the Nuggets fans a reason to feel optimistic — Teams that have a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals have an all-time record of 35-1 in the championship series.
Only once was a team able to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the Finals, which was the Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James back in 2016. They won the championship against the 73-win Warriors with Stephen Curry.
Denver coach, Michael Malone, wasn’t happy with how the team performed defensively in Game 2. Miami scored 111-108, shooting 48.6 percent from beyond the arc. This was largely due to the fact that the Nuggets committed errors on basic offensive actions.
Since the loss, the Nuggets have tightened up their defense and forced the Heat into making tougher attempts. Miami has struggled with 3-point shooting during Games 3 and 4, hitting only 19 of their 60 attempts (31.6 percent).
The one thing that has made a difference is the Heat’s 3-point shooting, which has been a battle where they have come out on top in the earlier rounds of the playoffs. But against the Nuggets, things have changed.
In the First round, they were hitting 15.4-34.2 (45.0%) 3PT-3PTA, opposed to 37.0% by the bucks. The Conference Semifinals saw them hitting 11.7-38.2 (30.6%) 3PT-3PTA, opposed to 29.9% by the Knicks.
In the Conference Finals, they hit 12.7-29.3 (43.4%) 3PT-3PTA, opposed to 30.3% by the Celtics. Meanwhile, in the NBA Finals, they hit 12.3-33.5 (36.6%) 3PT-3PTA, whereas the Nuggets hit 37.6% 3PT%.
The Nuggets deserve credit for slowing down Butler, who has averaged 28.5 points per game on 48.3 percent shooting from the field through the first three rounds of the playoffs. Against the Nuggets, he has seen a fall in scoring, dropping to 21.8 points on 44.6 percent shooting.
Despite the dip in his performance, Butler believes in his teammates and is always looking to make the right play. He says, ‘It’s a make-or-miss league’, stressing the significance of finding the Heat’s role players on the perimeter.
Players like Caleb Martin, Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, and Gabe Vincent have all had their moments in Miami’s playoffs run. They are an essential part of the team, and Heat wouldn’t have advanced to the Finals without them. However, they need Butler to step up and take on more responsibility in Game 5.
While we’re on the subject of valuable teammates, let’s look at Denver’s Jamal Murray, who is leading both teams in assists in the Finals.
This is a significant achievement, and an unexpected one. Murray has twelve or more assists in four games, making him the first player with ten or more assists in each of his first four Finals games.
His ability to find cutters, kick-out to open shooters, and execute the pick-and-pop with Jokic shows his remarkable growth in the postseason.
Denver’s offensive strategy is a difficult puzzle to solve, and Murray’s explosive performance is one of the reasons behind this. Speaking on his approach in the game, Murray said, ‘I’m just picking my spots, when to pull up, when to pass, when to drive and try to get in the teeth of the defense.
I felt like I impacted the game, and I really didn’t shoot well. I had a lot of late-shot-clock, four-seconds-left, gotta-get-it-up shots.
I’m going to live with those if everybody else is hooping. If I’ve got to take those for us to get shots every other time, then cool.’ The excellence demonstrated by Murray is something that the Heat needs to address and limit.
Despite being an underdog throughout the playoffs, Miami has shown that they are more than capable of holding their own. Spoelstra has always been able to rally his team, making them believe that anything is possible through hard work and determination.
The approach, however, must change, knowing that Denver has one hand on the trophy. They must come with a winning mindset to win the game and come back to Miami for Game 6. Things can shift very quickly, and the Heat has to believe in themselves to perform well in the crucial moments.
Unfortunately, predictions don’t look good for the Heat. With the 3-1 deficit feat in the Finals being overcome only once, and the Nuggets having a much better 3-it shooting game, it can be discouraging.
However, we all know that NBA games are unpredictable. We’ve seen things happen that no one could have imagined, and we could very well be in store for another upset. It’s up to the Heat to make it happen.
Even though the Heat’s 3-point shooting has gone down in the last two games, they are still a talented group who can bounce back in Game 5. They have several players who can contribute consistently, such as Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragic, and Kendrick Nunn.
If these players can get going, and Butler can step up, they will become a force to be reckoned with. Legend Pat Riley once said, ‘You have no idea how high something can go.’ This quote embodies everything that the Miami Heat stands for.
Game 5 is the most crucial game yet, and both teams know it. Miami will face yet another challenge in Denver, in what Spoelstra calls ‘a gnarly game.’ The Heat’s journey hasn’t been easy.
They’ve had to go through teams like the Bucks, Celtics, and Pacers to get to where they are right now. They have the experience to pull off something miraculous, and we all know how resilient they are.
Denver Nuggets have played exceptionally well in the playoffs, fighting through opponents like Utah Jazz and the mighty Los Angeles Clippers. They know what it takes to get to the top, and they are only one game away from the ultimate reward.
Nikola Jokic has been a beast, while Murray has been an excellent support system. If Denver can keep it going, they are going to make history.
However, Miami has no intentions of giving up yet. They are fighters, and they play until the final whistle. Fans of the Heat know that their team is capable of anything.
They know it’s not over until its truly over. Miami’s history is full of great players, and they are looking to add another chapter to it. The Heat Nation prides themselves on winning championships and nothing else.
It’s been a season of unexpected events, with the NBA resorting to the bubble to ensure continuity during the COVID-19 crisis.
Teams have had to adjust, fight through injuries and tough losses to get to this point. For the Heat and Nuggets, the road has been a difficult one, and it’s not over yet. The prize for one team will be the ultimate reward while the other is left wondering what could have been.
Game 5 is a history-making match, and the stakes are as high as they can be. It’s what every player dreams of and something that only a few get to experience in their lifetime.
Miami’s journey to the Finals wasn’t predictable, and the Nuggets’ dominance during the playoffs has been nothing short of spectacular. The unpredictable nature of the NBA is what makes this match the most exciting game of basketball you will ever see.
Both teams have put up a fight and are eagerly waiting for the outcome of Game 5. The Heat and Nuggets have shown incredible resilience and have pushed beyond their limits to get to where they are. Regardless of who wins, it’s a guarantee that we’re in for an exciting game of basketball and one that we will remember for years to come.