With the NBA Finals currently ongoing, it is a great opportunity for punters to place their bets at the best online casino Singapore. These games are among the most followed in the world, with the most celebrated athletes around the planet. Formerly dominated by American players, it now has a healthy share of international faces that took the game to new heights.
The playoffs did not fail to disappoint, as it fielded some of the best names in the NBA such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, James Harden, Giannis Antentokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker and Chris Paul. Now, the competition on the best online casino Singapore has narrowed down to two teams: the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat. Which of these storied franchises will go on to win the coveted Larry O’ Brien trophy? We give you our complete insights and give you the complete lowdown on this year’s edition of basketball’s biggest game!
Miami Heat – NBA Finals
The Miami Heat is the finalist representing the NBA Eastern Conference at the 2023 NBA Finals. They are one of the youngest franchises in the NBA, founded as a n expansion team in 1987. The Heat turned in a powerhouse in the 1990s, when they former LA Lakers and NY Knicks coach Pat Riley and signed superstars Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway.
In the 2000s, the Heat recruited former Most Valuable Player (MVP) Shaquille O’Neal and drafted Dwyane Wade, whose team-up led to the franchise’s first-ever NBA title in 2006. Wade would later team up with MVP LeBron James, Chris Bosh and coach Erik Spoelstra to win 2 more titles in 4 straight appearances.
Currently they play their games at the Kaiseya Center. The talisman is Jimmy Butler, and is supported by Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, Kevin Love and Tyler Herro (injured for finals).
Pathway To The NBA Finals
The Miami Heat ended the season with 44 wins and 38 losses. They were actually were seeded 7th in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, and not high on the best online casino Singapore odds. However, they lost to the 8th seeded Atlanta Hawks in the play-in and went on to defeat 9th seeded Chicago Bulls to take 8th place. They face off against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, whom they upset 4-1 in the first round. They then went to take down the 5th seeded New York Knicks, and survived a 3-3 game comeback by the Boston Celtics to win the East.
Denver Nuggets – NBA Finals
The Denver Nuggets are the other finalists, having been crowned the Western Conference Champions. They were founded 1967 as a franchise of the American Basketball Association (ABA), they then changed their name to the Rockets and finally to the Nuggets. The Nuggets, led by Dan Issel, Bobby Jones and David Thompson, participated in the last ABA Championship in 1976, where they bowed to the New York Nets.
The ABA then merged with the NBA in the following year, with the Nuggets joining the Merger. The team had produced numerous stars, including Alex English, Fat Lever, LaPhonso Ellis, Dikembe Mutombo, Antonio McDyess and All Stars Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson.
In 2015, Michael Malone was hired as coach, and they drafted Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in 2015 and 2016 respectively. The rest was history, as Denver rose to prominence, and reached as far as the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020. Jokic himself would be named the league’s MVP twice in a row. This year, the franchise finally reached the NBA Finals for the first time in history.
While Jokic and Murray remain the team’s key players, they also are backed up by solid names such as Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown. They play their home games at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.
Pathway To The NBA Finals
The Nuggets have been favourites on the best online casino Singapore from the get-go, topping the Western Conference with a 52-29 win record. They then eliminated 8th seed Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1, blow by past the Kevin Durant-led Phoenix Suns 4-2, then sweep the Lebron James-led LA Lakers, 4-0.
Head-To-Head Matchups
Denver and Miami have met twice in the regular season. On both occasions, the Nuggets won, and this sealed their reputation as favourites in the best online casino Singapore.
December 30, 2020, Ball Arena – Miami Heat 119, Denver Nuggerts 124.
February 13, 2023, Miami Dade Arena – Denver Nuggets 112, Miami Heat 108
The First Two Games So Far
As of this writing, two games have been played in the 2023 NBA Finals. Both were played at the Ball Arena. Prior to the Finals, the best online casino Singapore had the Denver Nuggets as the favourites.
Game 1: Nuggets 104 – 93 Heat
The well-rested Nuggets steamrolled over the Heat, who had just wrapped up their series with the Celtics two days prior. In the first quarter, Aaron Gordon scored 12 of his 16 points, helping out Nikola Jokic who was heavily-guarded. By the start of the half, best online casino Singapore favourites Denver led by 17 over Miami. The Heat would then have small runs in the 4th quarter, but were too late.
Jokic finished the game with a triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. Jamal Murray finished the game with 26 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists. On the Miami Heat’s side, Bam Adebayo contributed 26 points in the losing effort.
Game 2: Heat 111 – 108 Nuggets
While Denver looked poised to make it a 2-0 lead as the best online casino Singapore predicted, Miami showed their trademark grit and found a way to even it up in the Ball Arena, 1-1. Down by as many as 15 points, and 8 at the start of the fourth with Jokic eventually ending up with 41 points, the Heat came up with another emphatic win. Gabe Vincent had a breakout game with 23 points, while Butler and Adebayo each had 21 points.
Spoelstra’s men outscored the home team 36-25 in the 4th quarter to take control of the game. Murray has a chance to send the game to overtime and extend the best online casino Singapore home performance record, but his three point attempt was thwarted.
What Happens Next?
Now that the series is even, this makes for good betting at the best online casino Singapore! As the series moves to Miami for Games 3 and 4, will the well-oiled machine of Denver bounce back? Or will Spoelstra and his persistent underdogs show their superiority at home? Stay tuned!
