Denver Nuggets Win 2023 NBA Finals in Five Games over Miami Heat

The Denver Nuggets are the 2022-23 NBA Champions.

After 47 seasons of play in the NBA and 56 seasons as a franchise overall, for the first time ever, the Denver Nuggets are the last team standing.

After 47 ringless seasons, The Mile High finally gets theirs.

Congratulations to the Denver Nuggets. #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/cq8Dlg77ma
— Dan Bartels (@DanBartels2) June 13, 2023

The Nuggets, led by two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, have been building towards this moment for years. Denver has made the playoffs every season since 2018-19, and earned a top three seed in the Western Conference in four of their five consecutive playoff appearances.

After losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in seven games in the Conference Semifinals in 2019, Jokic and “bubble” Jamal Murray willed Denver all the way to the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, losing in five games to the eventual NBA Champions.

The next two seasons weren’t as glamorous: a second round sweep exit at the hands of the Phoenix Suns in 2021, a five game first round exit against the Golden State Warriors in 2022, and of course, Jamal Murray tearing his ACL and missing significant time. These two seasons may have felt like just treading water as opposed to completing the ascension, but the time and growing pains proved to be a necessary part of the journey.

The 2022-23 Denver Nuggets were battle-tested, talented, smart, and ready to take on any team in the NBA. By midseason, it was apparent that the Nuggets would cruise to the top seed in the Western Conference, and that Nikola Jokic may just add his third NBA MVP Award (he didn’t, which I still contend was the wrong decision.)

Heading in to the postseason, the Nuggets held the top record in the West, the fourth-best record in the NBA, and still weren’t even a top five betting favorite to win the title: the Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Golden State Warriors all garnered more interest from fans, bettors, and media pundits alike.

But then the Nuggets put the league on notice with a dominant 16-4 postseason run, tied for the second-best mark in NBA playoff history behind the 2017 Golden State Warriors, who went 16-1.

In the first round, the Nuggets dispatched a spirited Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games.

In the Conference Semifinals (looking back, the toughest series for Denver this postseason,) Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul posed a legitimate threat as a four seed. Phoenix had the series at 2-2 through four games, with each team winning their home games, which turned out to be the closest to elimination the Nuggets were all postseason.

Denver flipped the switch, smothering the Suns in Games 5 and 6 to advance to the Western Conference Finals and set up a 2020 rematch with the Los Angeles Lakers. After re-tooling their roster at the trade deadline, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers became a different beast, even dispatching last year’s champions, the Golden State Warriors, in the previous round.

But it didn’t matter. Not to say the games played within the series weren’t close (Games 2-4 were all decided by single digits,) but the Nuggets series lead was never really in jeopardy in the Western Conference Finals, as Denver swept the Lakers (their first playoff sweep in franchise history) to advance to their first NBA Finals in franchise history.

The opponent, the Miami Heat, was certainly unique, and the outcome of the Eastern Conference Finals played to Denver’s advantage. When the Nuggets won Game 4 over the Lakers to advance to the NBA Finals, the Heat were up 3-0 as well, but the Boston Celtics battled all the way back to force a Game 7. Had the Celtics won (or the Milwaukee Bucks- who Miami also dispatched, or the Philadelphia 76ers) had won the Eastern Conference, Denver would have served as the road team for the 2023 NBA Finals. But with the 8th-seeded Miami Heat, who had to start the postseason in the play-in tournament, representing the East, Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 would all take place at Ball Arena.

SEE ALSO: How did my 2023 NBA Finals Prediction hold up?

The Nuggets won Game 1 for their first NBA Finals game victory in franchise history, elevating excitement to an all-time high as well. But then for just the second time in the playoffs, the Nuggets faced a series tie after 0-0: leaving Denver with a 1-1 split as the Heat became the first road team to win in Ball Arena this postseason.

But even with the stakes as high as they could be, the Nuggets didn’t flinch. Jokic, Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown, and Christian Braun walked in to Miami and came out with a 3-1 lead: winning 109-94 in Game 3 and 108-95 in Game 4.

Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and the Heat put on an incredible run to get to the NBA Finals, but the gas had to run out at some point. Though the extra games of the play-in tournament and the mental exhaustion of nearly becoming the first team in NBA history to give up a 3-0 series lead, the Heat deserve a ton of credit for getting where they did.

But the Denver Nuggets were just too talented, too hungry, too prepared. Game 5 was hardly Denver’s best offensive performance of the season, but it didn’t matter: behind stifling defense and timely shooting, the Nuggets found a way to win.

Jokic had 28 points on 12-of-16 shooting along with 16 rebounds and 4 assists on the night he was crowned NBA FInals MVP. Jokic keeps breaking records, earning legitimate comparisons to playoff runs made by the all-time greats like LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Let that sink in: the former 41st overall pick out of Serbia is now being mentioned in the same breathe as LeBron James and Michael Jordan when it comes to playoff performances.

And Jokic isn’t just matching the greats: he’s surpassing them. Jokic set the record for most triple doubles in a postseason this year, and became the first player in NBA history to lead the playoffs in points, rebounds, and assists.

Congratulations to NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic!! 600 points, 269 rebounds and 190 assists in the Playoffs? The first in NBA history to lead the Playoffs in all 3?🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 13, 2023

Jamal Murray was excellent in the Finals, completing his journey from Bubble Murray to Playoffs Murray to Finals Murray. While Game 5 wasn’t the best game of Murray’s career (14 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assist on 6-of-15 shooting,) Murray did what he needed to help the Nuggets win over the series. Particularly, Murray stepped up in rebounds and assists, even becoming part of the first duo to ever record concurrent triple doubles in the same NBA Finals Game with Jokic in Game 3.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are the 1st pair of teammates in NBA history to each average 25+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists for an entire postseason. pic.twitter.com/2t87aOeM9v
— NBA (@NBA) June 13, 2023

Michael Porter Jr. scored 16 points and pulled down 13 boards in the Game 5 win. Aaron Gordon had just four points on 1-of-6 shooting, but again, over the course of the series had significant contributions.

The Nuggets trailed by one point heading in to the fourth quarter, but won the period 24-18 to close out any hopes of a Heat series comeback.

As the final buzzer sounded and the Nuggets won 94-89, Denver became professional basketball champions for the first time ever. Confetti rained from the rafters, the team put on their black Locker Room series shirts, and the team, owners, and families gathered on the court to celebrate around the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Owner Stan Kroenke, who has now seen his NFL Los Angeles Rams, NHL Colorado Avalanche, and NHL Colorado Mammoth all win championships in the last two years, now has an NBA Championship as wellwith his Denver Nuggets.

Head coach Michael Malone didn’t mince words at the podium: The Denver Nuggets aren’t done, “we want more.”

"WE WANT MORE!! WE WANT MORE!!"

Michael Malone after #Nuggets win 1st #NBA championship in franchise history. #NBAFinals . pic.twitter.com/KbLfcnmIvJ
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) June 13, 2023

Pending the 2023 NBA Draft, Free Agency, and off-season, the Nuggets are indeed the favorite to repeat as NBA Champions in 2024 at time of writing. Coach Malone talked about how teams take the journey from bad, to good, to contender, to champion, to dynasty. While it’s premature for the Nuggets to enter the dynasty conversation, a core built around a 28-year old Jokic and 26-year old Murray may not be done bringing championships to Denver just yet.

But for now, Denver has a championship to celebrate, a parade to throw, and when it’s all said and done, the city will send off two-time NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic back home to Serbia to enjoy the offseason with his family.

Jokić was asked if he's looking forward to the Championship parade.

"No. I need to go home." 🤣 pic.twitter.com/1ZkPSG6mFe
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 13, 2023

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