NBA

• Nuggets 94, Heat 89
  • The Nuggets are a worthy champion. Not only did Denver spend the majority of the season with one of the league’s top records, but it also rosters the league’s best player, Nikola Jokic. Jokic was robbed of his third consecutive MVP this season, but that didn’t deter his performance throughout the playoffs, which culminated in a 28-16-4 line in this game. The Nuggets didn’t face too much adversary in this series, so the best of Michael Porter wasn’t needed, but the forward came through last night, scoring 16 points and securing 13 rebounds. Repeating as champions is always a tall task, but Denver is better equipped than most to do it. For starters, The Nuggets have a relatively young opening unit, and have many key players locked in to long-term contracts. If there isn’t too much complacency surrounding the club, a Denver repeat is certainly something I can envision in 2024.
  • The Heat ran out of gas a long time ago — as in during the Eastern Conference Finals — so credit to Miami for making it this far. The problem for the Heat, though, is the amount of effort — and luck — it required to advance to this point. Ideally, Pat Riley is able to land a big fish to join forces with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo this summer, but that’s easier said than done. Butler, himself, will be 34 when next season tips off, and three of Miami’s five starters from this game will be free agents this offseason. Of course, the Heat has Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro locked in for years to come, creating at least a somewhat youthful future for the club, but changes are likely in South Beach for the always opportunistic Heat.