All Tied Up

Game 2 of these NBA Finals felt like a perfect encapsulation of the Miami Heat’s miraculous postseason. After falling behind by double digits in the first half and trailing by eight heading into the fourth, Miami stormed back and the stole home court with a red-hot 36-point closing quarter 🔥

• What made the victory all the more impressive was the well-rounded performance of the Heat’s ensemble cast. After struggling to hit their threes in Game 1, the Heat’s legion of sharpshooters looked back to their postseason selves

• This team has come through in the clutch throughout this playoff run 👇

The Heat’s success is defined by their resilience — the leadership of Coach Spo and Jimmy Butler has instilled an unwavering confidence in this squad, no matter the circumstances. This sense of self was threatened when Denver ran off a remarkable 40-14 run in the first half, powered by the frenetic energy of bench players like rookie Christian Braun and the ageless Jeff Green. However, Miami showed yet again that they are here for a reason 💪

• As the second eighth seed to ever make the Finals, the Heat have relied upon stellar contributions from their collection of unheralded role players. This time, it was the undrafted sniper Duncan Robinson, who spent much of this season glued to the bench, that provided the spark

• After not even taking a shot beforehand, Robinson rattled off 10 quick points to open the fourth, punctuated by a memorable mean mug 😂

Despite the Heat’s inspired comeback, Denver remains the clear favorite in this series (-270). Nikola Jokic was nothing short of dominant even in the loss, totaling 41 points and 11 rebounds. It’s obvious at this point that Jokic is the clear-cut best player in the world, and a title would open up some intriguing all-time great debates 🤔

• The Heat seemed to fare much better when guarding Jokic in single coverage and living with the results, rather than doubling and allowing him to pick them apart with pinpoint dimes

• Spoelstra, however, didn’t seem too enthused by this suggestion 👀

While I see Spo’s point that the “scorer vs. passer” dichotomy is admittedly simplistic, Denver’s offense clearly flows most seamlessly when Jokic can create easy shots for his teammates. The Joker is the unquestioned engine of his squad’s offensive sets, and his supporting cast relies heavily on him to provide room-service dimes for cutting layups or spot-up threes 💦

• Jamal Murray is of course Denver’s more than capable secondary creator, but he was quiet until catching fire late in the fourth. Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope really struggled as well, going a combined 3/12 from the field

• The record shows that the Nuggets are near unbeatable when Jokic is dishing and shooters are swishing 👇

Nuggets vs. Heat Betting Preview (subject to change)

• Spread: Nuggets -2.5

• Moneyline: Nuggets -142, Heat +120

• Over/Under: 214.5

Trivia Question: Nikola Jokic broke the all-time record for most assists per game by a center this year, coming in at a whopping 9.8. Who held the record previously?

For My Parlay Gurus

The Nuggets’ collection of shooters are too good to stay cold for long, and I expect them to come out firing after the Game 2 disappointment. Look for Denver to steal home court right back, behind a well-rounded effort and another big assists game from the greatest passing big man of all time 👀

• Nuggets -2.5 @ Heat: -108

• Nikola Jokic OVER 9.5 Assists: -148

$100 on this bet would win you $190 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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Trivia Answer: Wilt Chamberlain held the record prior to Jokic, dropping 8.6 APG in the 1968 season

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