The door to the throne isn’t just ajar for the Denver Nuggets. It is now mostly wide open.
That’s the result of Denver’s 108-95 win over Miami in Saturday’s Game 4 of the best-of-seven Finals for the 2023 NBA title, putting the Heat on the brink of defeat.
For, with the loss, history even looks unkind now to Miami as it gruesomely finds itself lodged in a 3-1 hole. One frightening step away from the grave.
Teams ahead by 3-1 are 267-13 in NBA playoffs history.
Teams ahead by 3-1 are 35-1 in NBA Finals history.
Ah, that 35-1 mark.
That lone loss happened because of LeBron James, who powered Cleveland to three straight wins as the incredible Cavaliers achieved an improbable 4-3 victory in the 2016 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
LeBron James, now 38, has just rewritten another record by becoming the all-time owner of total points made in NBA history last February, dislodging the great Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
Can anyone from Miami clone LeBron James and make the Heat the 4-3 champions by June 19?
Jimmy Butler, the hottest Heat, doesn’t even come close. Yes, he consistently scores in the 20s, unloading another team-high 25 points on top of 7 rebounds and 7 assists in Saturday’s Game 4. But he doesn’t have the “complete package” image that LeBron enjoys since he crashed the league 18 years ago.
Not even Bam Adebayo, who could hardly contain Nikola “The Joker” Jokic, Denver’s versatile seven-footer who had 23 points and 12 rebounds Saturday. This, despite a tweaked ankle in Game 4’s second quarter and an extended stint on the bench after committing a fifth foul at the 9:29 mark of the final frame.
Adebayo had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Miami on Saturday, but he again miserably missed several point-blank range shots at crunch time.
But Butler is undaunted. He said: “We are now in a must-win situation every single game. It’s not impossible.”
And Miami coach Erik Spoelstra chimed in: “We have an incredibly competitive group. We’ve done everything the hard way. It’s going to have to be done right now—again.”
Oh, yes, as the last-placed No. 8, Miami got to the Finals by beating heavyweights like Milwaukee, New York and Boston.
So, will it yet be another reprieve or the last dance for the Heat in Tuesday’s (June 13, 2023) Game 5 in Denver?