three things to watch out for in Game 2 between Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets

O denver nuggets came out on top in the NBA Finals after winning the miami heatat home, by 104 to 93 in a game marked by another good performance by Nikola Jokic and a completely dominant Denver team. Having obtained the best campaign in the regular season, the Nuggets start the series, best of seven, with two straight games at Ball Arena, in Denver. And Game 2 of this big decision will be the 73rd time the franchises face each other, with 39 wins for the Colorado team and only 34 for the Miami Heat. But there are some important points of attention for the next confrontation.

Game 2 of the NBA Finals takes place this Sunday (4), at 9 pm (Brasília time), in a game that will be broadcast on ESPN2 and Star+. And those watching can keep an eye on some key points that could define the confrontation from this moment on.

Nikola Jokic

The Denver Nuggets star is not the strongest, fastest or best 3-pointer in the NBA. But, yes, what differentiates the Serbian Nikola Jokic is his intelligence in slowing down the game and being able to carry out a complete reading of everything that is happening. Coming from a “European basketball school”, he knows that he needs to have a technical level above that of his opponents, who are athletic. And he seeks to make up for his lack of athleticism with a high basketball IQ.

In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Nikola Jokic scored yet another triple-double. This time, with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists, and now the Serb is looking to increase that lead to 2-0 and go to the Kaseya Center, in Miami, with a good advantage under his arm, to close the series and, who you know, secure the first title in Denver Nuggets history.

caleb martin

One of the main pillars of the Miami Heat in the playoffs has been gaining more and more prominence after fighting tooth and nail for the title. One of the undrafted players on that roster, at just 27 years old, Martin was the main player in Game 7 of the Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. He played consistently on both sides of the court and managed to be Jimmy Butler’s main ally to avoid a historic comeback.

Trailing only one vote behind Jimmy Butler as Conference Finals MVP, Martin is an interesting focus for Game 2 between the Heat and the Nuggets. That’s because the athlete had a discreet performance and shorter minutes. Now, a little more “rested” for the second game, it could be the Miami Heat athlete that makes the difference, especially with his good use of 3 balls. So far, he has averages of 9.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 71 games, scoring 46.4% of field goals. Still, in the playoffs, he played in 18 games, scoring 14.1 points, with 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. A 56.6% success in court kicks.

Miami Heat fatigue

The Denver Nuggets are coming from a much milder Conference Final than the Miami Heat. Nikola Jokic’s team swept the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 and have been resting since May 26, thinking about the finals. The Florida team did not have the same opportunity. After opening 3-0 in the series, they suffered 3 consecutive defeats and dragged on to overcome the Boston Celtics in Game 7, inside the TD Garden, in Boston. A factor that brings out the tiredness of the team, which already comes from complicated games in the playoffs and, always discredited, had to prove why they deserved to advance.

In addition to the natural attrition of players coming from a seven-game series, another point worries the Miami Heat: Denver’s altitude. Even just 1600m from sea level (in Libertadores, we see games over 2,000), NBA stars end up feeling a little more tired. The study by Michael J. Lopez of Skidmore College and director of NFL data and analytics, along with Gregory J. Matthews of Loyola University Chicago and Benjamin S. Baumer of Smith College, published by Forbes, reveals that Denver has , in fact, a certain advantage for acting at altitude. Giving, on average, 2.5 more victories for the team, along with the Utah Jazz (which operates at an altitude of 1,300m in Salt Lake City), per season.

Now, the story of Game 2 of the NBA between Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets, at Ball Arena, you can follow from 9 pm on ESPN2 and Star+.