Finals G1 Preview: Jokic fights to defend unbeaten home Butler grabs his first series win?
At 8:30 a.m. Beijing time on June 2, the 2022-23 NBA Finals will kick off, with the Nuggets playing their first game at home against the Heat. Jokic will try to defend their unbeaten home in the playoffs, after a 9-0 home game; Butler is looking to win another away G1 win, and the Heat have won the first three rounds of the series this year.
Jokic did not win this award this season after being named regular season MVP two years in a row, but he has a full-blown explosion in the playoffs and is aiming for the eventual team honor. Butler was never named regular season MVP, but he proved his tenacious determination at all stages of his career to lead the team through the toughest of times.
The top seed in the West Nuggets met the East No. 8 seed Heat. Heat coach Spall said: "This is destined to be a great series. Nuggets coach Malone said: "Entering the NBA Finals, there is no longer a seed problem. Some people think it's an easy series for the Nuggets, and I don't know how to respond, and I think it's going to be the biggest challenge because it's the NBA Finals. ”
Jokic, who lost the MVP battle, definitely has enough motivation to help the team win the first championship in team history. In 15 playoff games, Jokic averaged 29.9 points, 13.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists per game, an average triple-double. He also got plenty of help from Murray (27.7 points per game), Porter Jr. (14.6 points and 8 rebounds per game) and Gordon (13 points per game).
"I think the way we play is that everybody can step up and everybody can be the best player of the game or the player of the week," Jokic said. ”
On the stage of this year's playoffs, Butler's performance has also improved comprehensively, from averaging 22.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game in the regular season to 28.5 points, 7 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game in the playoffs.
Adebayo averaged 16.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in the playoffs, and the Heat also had seven missing picks on the roster, including Martin (14.1 points per game) and Vincent (13.1 points per game). Vincent also scored 29 points in the East Final G3 game against the Green Army.
"We love spending time with each other and want to see each other succeed," Butler said, "and we really enjoy playing well with each other." We will continue to play like this, never panic, and we will see the final result. ”
One of the biggest variables for the Heat in this year's Finals is Hiro, who is still recovering from injury. Spall confirmed that Hiro would not play in the G1 campaign, but said he was closer to a comeback. It was previously reported that Hiro's comeback target time is Finals G3, and he is the third scorer in the Heat regular season, averaging 20.1 points per game.
The Nuggets reached the NBA Finals for the first time in history, having reached the ABA Finals in 1976 but failed to win them. If the Nuggets manage to win the championship this time, it will be the first championship in team history.
The Heat have reached the Finals for the sixth time in their history, and they have won three championships, most recently in 2013, when James led the team to the championship.