The Denver Nuggets were able to comfortably control Game 1 of the series against the Miami Heat. They will look to keep that going on their home floor once again tonight. We should expect a better performance from the visitors here. They have now had more time to prepare for the Nuggets having had a short turnaround for the opener after their Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics. The hosts have been formidable at home this post season and will be a tough ask for the underdog Heat team.
Check out my first-basket scorer pick for Heat vs Nuggets below and you can also read our'NBA predictions'for picks on the sides and total.
In Game 1 of the finals, the Denver Nuggets won the opening tip and were able to go and convert the opening field goal. Jamal Murray was the man that made the first shot of the game. Game 2 will likely see Nikola Jokic jumping against Bam Adebayo once more. They have now come against each other on 3 occasions. Jokic has gained the Nuggets the ball on 2 occasions. While the 2-time MVP is not as explosive of an athlete as his counterpart, he does have a 2-inch height advantage. That should position him well to get his team the opening possession.
I tipped Aaron Gordon to make the opening field goal in Game 1 and am sticking with him here. The forward was a matchup nightmare for the Heat as they struggled matching up with his size. He made 4 of the first 7 shots for the Nuggets and ended the first quarter with 12 points. With his athletic ability he should continue causing the visitors issues attacking the rim. Gordon is 2nd on the Nuggets this season in scoring the teams first points so he does get targeted early. He is making 50.3% of his field goal attempts this postseason and should have continued success here. Gordon should be an early target once more.