Heat Win Game 7 Win To Claim 2023 Eastern Conference Title
The Miami Heat just went through the wringer in the Eastern Conference Finals. They had to cope with a persistent Boston squad and almost blew a 3-0 lead early into the series. In fact, they already went through the fire before the postseason started. Miami secured their playoff hopes with a Play-In Tournament victory. Since then, they impressed the entire league with their grit, hunger, and determination to stand on top of the mountain.
Nitrobetting is ready to dish out key assists and lob passes with betting tips and news coverage throughout the 2023 NBA Playoffs. We break down the NBA Finals showdown between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets.
Miami Heat 2023 NBA Playoffs Journey
Road to the 2023 NBA Playoffs
No eighth-seed has ever won an NBA championship. The lowest seed ever to accomplish that feat was the Houston Rockets nearly three decades ago when they made light work of the Orlando Magic in the 1995 finals as the Western Conference sixth seed.
Miami comes into this contest as the eighth seed. The Knicks reached the finals as an eighth seed in the shortened 1998-99 season, but eventually fell to San Antonio in five games. However, the Nuggets have never won an NBA title either. This is their first finals appearance after making the conference finals just four times (1978, 1985, 2009, and 2020). It’s also the first they finished the season as the Western Conference top seed.
The ECF Finals winner jots down a different narrative. Miami started the regular season with seven wins and 11 losses. Butler went through a series of nagging injuries. The Heat eventually finished the regular-season 44-38–a record good enough for the Play-In Tournament. They lost the first game to Atlanta and trailed Chicago 90-87, with less than three minutes left in the fourth quarter before closing the game on a 15-1 run to snatch the eighth seed.
Dealing With Playoff Hurdles
The challenges came left and right. They had to play Milwaukee in Round 1–the league’s best team this season. Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the second and third games with a back injury, but it’s safe to say that the 2021 champions had enough depth to deal with the Heat. This is where things started to peak for head coach Erik Spoelstra and his crew.
Jimmy Butler put on one masterclass after the other versus Milwaukee. He couldn’t stop scoring, producing dimes, and even recorded his career-best stat of 56 points in a game. They refused to drop the ball at Game 5 and eventually killed the Bucks’ championship hopes.
Next up was New York. The Knicks gave Miami trouble in Round 2, but there was no doubt the Heat would close the series even when Butler had to sit out Game 2 after sustaining a sprained right ankle. They followed it up with an incredible battle against the second-seeded Celtics. Miami won the first three but dropped the next three with the latter one ending on a Derrick White buzzer-beater tip-in.
Jayson Tatum’s early ankle injury in Game 7 firmly impacted the Celtics’ offense. Nevertheless, the Heat finished the convincing win, 103-84, to deny Boston a shot at history. Butler came through with 28 points, while Caleb Martin followed him closely and finished with 26 points, ten rebounds, and three assists.
Miami prepares for a much-anticipated David vs. Goliath brawl against the Denver Nuggets. Ultimately, this unexpected matchup is slated to bring us incredible action on the hard court on top of quality betting lines.
Where to Bet on the 2023 NBA Playoffs with Bitcoin
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This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more 2022-23 NBA season previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest basketball betting odds on our online BTC sportsbook.
*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.
READ MORE: 2023 NBA Finals Betting Preview
