The Miami Heat play host to the Denver Nuggets in a rematch of the 2023 NBA Finals
Game time: 7:30 p.m., Kaseya Center, Miami
TV: FanDuel Sports Network
Betting line: Heat +2.5
VITALS: The Heat and Nuggets meet for the second and final regular season matchup. Earlier this season, Denver recorded a 122-112 win on November 5 and has now won a franchise-record 11 consecutive regular season games against Miami. The HEAT are 34-42 all-time versus the Nuggets during the regular season, including 20-17 in home games and 14-25 in road games. Denver may have fallen to the Orlando Magic, 126-127, on 12/27, but the magic of The Joker was still very much alive. Nikola Jokić finished with 34 points (11-22 FG, 12-13 FT), 21 rebounds, 12 assists, and one steal in 38 minutes, accounting for his 180th career triple-double. Jokić is now one triple-double away from tying Oscar Robertson for the second-most triple-doubles in NBA history.
LAST MEETING: Nuggets won 122-112 in Denver Nov. 5
PROJECTED STARTERS
HEAT
G Davion Mitchell
G Norman Powell
C Kel'el Ware
F Pelle Larsson
F Andrew Wiggins
NUGGETS
F Tim Hardaway Jr
F Peyton Watson
C Nikola Jokic
G Spencer Jones
G Jamal Murray
INJUY REPORT
HEAT
Bam Adebayo: Probable (back)
Tyler Herro: Out (toe)
Davion Mitchell: Available (ankle)
Norman Powell: Available (thumb)
Terry Rozier: Out (Not With Team)
Kasparas Jakucionis: Available (ankle)
Jaime Jaquez: Available (calf)
Jahmir Young: Doubtful (G League)
Kel'el Ware: Available (Quad)
Vladislav Goldin: Out (G League)
NUGGETS
Tamar Bates: Out (Foot)
Christian Braun: Out (Ankle)
Aaron Gordon: Out (Hamstring)
Cameron Johnson: Out (Knee)
QUOTABLE
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on Nikola Jovic: "We've felt this all along. It's just been an uneven start to this season for whatever reason. It doesn't matter, we're here. We know how important [Jovic] can be and how different we can look when he's playing that style of basketball. He definitely has to clean up some of the footwork. I want him being aggressive, particularly in transition. That gets us out to a different place."
Nuggets coach David Aldeman on the rotation: "I think anything is on the table. I always believe that you got to give people more than a few games to see if you know they can find some cohesion. Julian [Strawther] had a good night offensively, which is good to see. But yeah, I'm gonna try to find the best combination possible going forward."
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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of HeatRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com