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☆ The Nuggets Said They Weren’t Favorites—Then Proved They Are in Game 1 of the NBA Finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Leading up to the NBA Finals, Nikola Jokic disputed the obvious. Were his Denver Nuggets, a No. 1 seed who had won 53 games during the regular season and swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, favored over a Miami Heat team that had won just 44 games, earned a No. 8 seed and survived a seven-game conference-final tilt against the Boston Celtics?

Persons: Nikola Jokic Organizations: NBA, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Western, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics

☆ Nikola Jokic, Nuggets cruise to Game 1 win over Heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Right now, the most important thing is to win a game, and I'm trying to win a game in any possible way," Jokic said on the ABC broadcast. The Nuggets were sharp, even after a nine-day wait between their conference-final sweep and the start of the NBA Finals. "I reminded our group, if they didn't know, that Miami went into Milwaukee (in the first round) and won Game 1," Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. "They went into the Garden in New York City (in the second round) and won Game 1. "They were in a pretty good rhythm, especially in that first half," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the Nuggets.

Persons: Nikola Jokic, Bam Adebayo, Isaiah J, Downing, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr, Aaron Gordon, Jokic, Jimmy Butler, Michael Malone, Gabe Vincent, Haywood Highsmith, Erik Spoelstra, Murray, Bruce Brown, Butler Organizations: Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, Ball, USA, Nuggets, ABC, NBA, Denver, Eastern Conference, Miami, Eastern, The Nuggets, Heat, Thomson Locations: Denver, USA, Milwaukee, New York City, Boston, Jokic

☆ 2023 NBA Finals: How to watch the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

There’s Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets – the hulking Serbian center who has battled underappreciation and misinterpretation to become one of the league’s greats and a two-time Most Valuable Player. It’s the performances of Jokić and Butler which help to explain why the NBA Finals are being contested by Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat as the 2022/23 NBA season concludes. Jokić shoots the ball during Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. Jokić admitted that the celebrations were short-lived after the Western Conference Finals sweep of the Lakers as Denver’s goal is lifting the title. Jokić leaves the floor after the Nuggets beat the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

Persons: There’s Nikola Jokić, underappreciation, Jimmy Butler –, Jokić, Butler, Erik Spoelstra, Denver’s Michael Malone, Larry O’Brien, Butler –, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Adam Pantozzi, Jamal Murray’s, Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell, Pope –, “ I’m, ” Jokić, AAron Ontiveroz, – Miami, Al Horford, David Butler II, – Butler, ”, “, Pat, Riley, Spoelstra, Nathaniel S, you’ve, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Denver Nuggets, NBA, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Western, Nuggets, Boston Celtics, Ball Arena, Games, ABC, Western Conference, Denver, Lakers, Denver Post, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Bucks, New York Knicks, Celtics, Eastern, USA, Sports, Reuters, Heat Locations: Serbian, Denver , Colorado, Miami, Denver, Milwaukee Bucks . Miami

How to watch the NBA Finals in the USYou can watch the NBA Finals on ABC via broadcast TV, cable, satellite, or any live TV streaming service that carries the network. 2023 NBA Finals scheduleGame Date and time Channel Game 1, Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets June 1, 8:30 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN3 Game 5, Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets (if necessary) June 12, 8:30 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN3 Game 6, Denver Nuggets at Miami Heat (if necessary) June 15, 8:30 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN3 Game 7, Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets (if necessary) June 18, 8 p.m.

Persons: Larry O'Brien, we've, Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, Lisa Salters, Nikola Jokic, there's, ExpressVPN Organizations: Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, NBA, ABC, ESPN3, ESPN, Sling, Western Conference, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Hulu, YouTube

☆ Coco Gauff says Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler offered her tickets to the NBA Finals before beginning of playoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

But according to tennis star and Heat fan Coco Gauff, Butler is either excellent at predicting the future or just extremely confident. In the lead up to the French Open, Gauff hinted she had a “funny story” about Butler but was “going to save it” to avoid jinxing it. Butler drives to the basket during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. 8 seed Heat’s miraculous run to the NBA Finals, beating the No. The NBA Finals begin on Thursday in Denver.

Persons: Jimmy Butler’s, Coco Gauff, Butler, Gauff, Roland Garros, Brian Babineau, ”, “, I’ll, ’ ” Gauff, ’, ” Gauff, Jimmy Butler, Rebeka Masarova Organizations: CNN, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, NBA, Denver Nuggets, Eastern, Hawks, Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks Locations: Madrid, Rome, France, Denver

☆ Nuggets stand between Heat, history in NBA Finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] May 27, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) looks to the score board in the second quarter during game six of the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2023 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY SportsMay 31 (Reuters) - The Miami Heat have the chance to make history when the NBA Finals kick off on Thursday, facing a well-rested Denver Nuggets squad that is uninterested in letting the Heat's Cinderella story go any further. "We don't play just to win the Eastern Conference, we play to win the whole thing." "You get to the NBA Finals, it's not about seeding anymore. The NBA Finals kick off on Thursday at 8:30 p.m.

Persons: Jimmy Butler, Rich Storry, Larry O'Brien, Tyler Herro, Mark Jackson, Nikola Jokic's, oddsmakers, Michael Malone, Malone, it's, Amy Tennery, Chris Reese Organizations: Miami Heat, Eastern, Kaseya Center, NBA, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Eastern Conference, ABC NBA, Nikola Jokic's Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Nuggets, Milwaukee, Ball, Thomson Locations: Miami , Florida, USA, Miami, New York

☆ Miami win Game 7 to thwart Celtics' comeback bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/11] May 29, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Miami Heat guard Gabe Vincent (2) shoots against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the third quarter of game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2023 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY SportsMay 29 (Reuters) - The Miami Heat avoided becoming the first team to squander a 3-0 NBA playoff series lead after beating the Boston Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday. Miami's Jimmy Butler, named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, struggled in Game 6 but was back to his best on Monday with a game-high 28 points. Miami became just the second eighth-seeded team to reach the NBA Finals after the New York Knicks in 1999. Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Heat to Face Nuggets in N.B.A. Finals After Beating Celtics in Game 7
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Scott Cacciola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Miami Heat stunned the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night, clinching a roller-coaster, hold-your-breath, best-of-seven series in Game 7, 103-84, to extend their remarkable postseason run. 8 seed has seemingly surprised everyone but them, will face the Denver Nuggets in the N.B.A. The Nuggets secured their first trip to the championship round by completing a sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals a week ago. The Heat are just the second eighth seed, after the 1998-99 Knicks, to reach the N.B.A. “Sometimes you have to suffer for the things you really want,” Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said during the postgame trophy presentation.

CNN —The Miami Heat closed out the Boston Celtics in the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals on Monday, winning a deciding Game 7 103-84 to advance to the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets have not played a game in a week after sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals last Monday. 1-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, before winning a war of attrition against the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semis. This brought the Heat and the Celtics together in the Eastern Conference Finals. Back-to-back blowouts meant that Boston took the series back to Miami for Game 6 – the most crucial game of the series so far.

CNN —Boston Celtics guard Derrick White scored a miraculous putback to beat the buzzer and seal a dramatic 104-103 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday. The Celtics’ unlikely victory erased a 0-3 series deficit and left them on the verge of NBA history as no team (0-150) has ever won a playoff series after being 0-3 down. Derrick White hits the game winner for the Boston Celtics. Everybody was asking me, did you get it off, and I was like, yeah, I think so, but it was so close, you never know,” White told reporters afterwards. Basketball at its finest,” Butler told reporters afterwards.

☆ On the Denver Nuggets, the Role Players Get to Be Stars, Too
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Tania Ganguli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“So we just go with the hot guy.”Jokic is the engine that powers the Nuggets, but Gordon also called him “one of the most unselfish basketball players.” Jokic is averaging a triple-double in the playoffs, with 29.9 points, 13.2 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game. That happened on Saturday, in the Nuggets’ 119-108 win in Game 3 with the Lakers. Jokic had just 5 points and 2 rebounds at halftime, then got into foul trouble by committing his fourth less than halfway through the third quarter. That means somebody else has to step up.’ I think that’s something our team has done time and time again.”The Nuggets’ players have not just accepted roles that require them to defer to others, but embraced them in service of winning a championship. Jokic was the team’s only All-Star this year and no Nugget made an All-Defensive team; Jokic has never played with someone who made those teams while playing with him.

☆ Lakers vs Nuggets Game 2: LeBron James proves he is human after missing an easy dunk in LA loss to Denver
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —LeBron James proved he is human after all as the Los Angeles Lakers fell to a 108-103 Game 2 playoff loss against the Denver Nuggets. With the Lakers up by eight points early in the second, James had a clear run to the basket after being found by Rui Hachimura in transition. Jack Dempsey/APLeBron blowing the easy dunk was just one of the many uncharacteristic errors made by the 19-time All-Star in the Game 2 loss. After the game, James reflected on the 0-2 hole the Lakers find themselves in and said that it wasn’t the end of the world. To go with four steals, five assists and 10 rebounds, Murray scored an incredible 37 points in the huge win.

If you're hoping to livestream the game tonight, we've got you covered with complete details on how to watch the Lakers vs. Nuggets online no matter where you are. ETHow to watch the Lakers vs. Nuggets in the USYou can watch the Lakers vs. Nuggets tonight on ESPN through cable, satellite, and any live TV streaming service that carries the channel. A virtual private network, or VPN, will let you livestream the Lakers vs. Nuggets through services like Sling TV no matter where you are. How to watch the Lakers vs. Nuggets with a VPNSign up for a VPN if you don't already have one. Install it on the device you're using to stream the Lakers vs. Nuggets.

☆ Nikola Jokić makes history with triple-double to lead Denver Nuggets to big Game 5 win leaving Phoenix Suns on the ropes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Nikola Jokić made history with a triple-double on Tuesday night to lead the Denver Nuggets to a comfortable 118-102 Game 5 win in their Western Conference playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets were spearheaded as usual by Jokić, who created yet more history with his excellent all-around performance. Brown provided a key thrust for Denver throughout, scoring 25 points off the bench, something Jokić was keen to praise. Devin Booker led the way for the Suns with 28 points while Durant added 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. The home team has now won every game in the series so far, with Game 6 taking place in Phoenix on Thursday.

☆ An MVP Shoves. An NBA Team Owner Falls. The Basketball World Decides: ‘Flop or Foul?’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In the NBA playoffs, players will do anything for an edge. But what about team owners? That question came up almost halfway through Sunday night’s game between the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns. After Phoenix’s Josh Okogie sailed into the courtside seating to chase a loose ball, Denver star Nikola Jokic rushed to collect it, hoping to inbound the ball before Okogie had recovered. When Jokic tried to pry it from a spectator’s hands in Phoenix’s Footprint Center, a comedy of retaliatory gamesmanship ensued.

☆ Jokic fined $25,000, will not be suspended for Ishbia incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 8 (Reuters) - Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will not face a suspension after making contact with Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia during Game 4 of their conference semi-finals playoff series on Sunday. The NBA handed Jokic a $25,000 fine after he made contact with Ishbia in an attempt to take the game ball away from him and again when the game ball went further into the crowd at Phoenix's Footprint Center. The Suns won Game 4 129-124 to level the series. Ishbia previously said on Twitter that Jokic, a two-time MVP, should not receive a suspension. I have a lot of respect for Jokic and don’t want to see anything like that," he said.

☆ Philadelphia 76ers Embiid wins first MVP award
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 2 (Reuters) - Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award for the first time, the league announced on Tuesday. Embiid was chosen over Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, to whom he lost the award in the past two seasons, and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won back-to-back awards in 2019 and 2020. The Cameroonian big man received 73 first-place votes from a panel of 100 broadcasters and journalists, marking the fifth consecutive win for an international player. The 29-year-old is only the second African player to become MVP after Nigerian-American Hakeem Olajuwon from the Houston Rockets in the 1993-94 season. The MVP trophy was renamed this season after Michael Jordan, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

☆ Embiid hopes 'improbable' path to MVP will inspire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 3 (Reuters) - National Basketball Association (NBA) MVP Joel Embiid hopes to be a role model of perseverance after overcoming extraordinary odds, the Philadelphia 76ers center said on Wednesday. "I felt like it was kind of my fault because I left Cameroon, I left, you know, my family. I felt like I should have been there to do something," said Embiid, who missed the first two seasons of his career with a broken foot. Embiid, who came second in MVP voting to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in the last two seasons, produced an undeniable MVP campaign this time around, averaging a career-high 33.1 points per game, with 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nikola Jokic Gets More Kicks—Literally—Than Anyone in Basketball History
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Nikola Jokic has always been a spectacle on offense. Despite his non-chiseled build and lack of top-percentile athleticism—six-feet-11 and 284 pounds, without much foot speed or vertical leap to speak of—the Denver Nuggets’ center plays basketball like a ballet dancer. In the opener of their conference semifinal against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, Jokic flung his usual inch-perfect passes and twirled through the lane, leading Denver to their first win in what became, Monday night, a 2-0 series lead. On defense, though, Jokic tends to be as lumbering as he is graceful at the other end. Most opposing dribblers can edge past the twice-reigning MVP, and almost everyone in the NBA can outjump him.

☆ Dimmed Suns hope to recapture fire at home against Nuggets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 2 (Reuters) - The Phoenix Suns return to the Valley with the grim task of turning around their Western Conference semi-final campaign against the Denver Nuggets on Friday, with star point guard Chris Paul's future uncertain. After the Nuggets humbled them 125-107 in Saturday's opener, the Suns improved their defense but little else in Monday's Game 2, losing 97-87. CURRY VS. LEBRONElsewhere in the playoffs picture, a star-studded California clash between LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers and defending champions Golden State Warriors kicks off in San Francisco on Tuesday. Philadelphia star James Harden equalled his career playoff high 45 points on Monday and will need another high-caliber performance for Game 2 in Boston on Wednesday with Embiid's future unclear. Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers told reporters their ability to win without Embiid was a testament to his players' preparedness.

☆ Durant signs 'lifetime contract' with Nike
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 28 (Reuters) - Phoenix Suns' Kevin Durant has signed a 'lifetime contract' with sportswear giant Nike, the NBA star said on Friday, following in the footsteps of greats Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only basketball players to have lifetime deals. Durant, 34, has been with Nike since he made his NBA debut in 2007 -- the season he won the Rookie of the Year award -- and has released 15 different pairs of basketball sneakers. "When I first signed with Nike, I couldn't have dreamed of how far we'd go in this partnership. We've done amazing work creatively and philanthropically," Durant, a twice NBA champion and 13-times All Star, said in a statement via Boardroom. Nike has supported Durant's involvement in grassroots basketball by helping refurbish courts in communities across the world through the Durant Family Foundation.

☆ NBA roundup: Hawks use late rally to stay alive
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Boston's Jaylen Brown (35 points) posted his second straight 30-plus-point game and Jayson Tatum had 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Jamal Murray scored 35 points, Bruce Brown and Aaron Gordon each had 14 and Michael Porter Jr. grabbed 10 rebounds for Denver. The top-seeded Nuggets are headed to the Western Conference semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons. Anthony Edwards put up 29 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 11 rebounds and Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 15 rebounds for the eighth-seeded Timberwolves. Kevin Durant scored 31 points and Deandre Ayton added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the No.

☆ NBA roundup: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets take command over Wolves
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The top-seeded Nuggets grabbed a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and will aim for a sweep on Sunday in Minnesota. Julius Randle contributed 11 points and eight rebounds despite 3-of-15 shooting, and Immanuel Quickley also scored 11 points. Dejounte Murray added 25 points for Atlanta, which lost the first two games of the series in Boston. Tatum led the Celtics with 29 points and 10 rebounds and added five assists. Marcus Smart finished with 24 points, eight assists and three steals, and Malcolm Brogdon scored 17 points.

Games are split between TNT, ESPN, ABC, and NBA TV; you can stream them with a live TV service like Sling. NBA Playoffs livestream quick linksUS TV broadcasts: TNT, ESPN, NBA TV, ABC/ESPN3 via Sling Orange ($51/month)Watch from anywhere: Use ExpressVPN service to stream from Sling TVStart time: Playoffs being April 15 at 1 p.m. How to watch the NBA Playoffs in the USYou can watch the NBA Playoffs on ESPN, TNT, ABC, and NBA TV, with select games scheduled across each channel. How to watch the NBA Playoffs with a VPNSign up for a VPN if you don't already have one. ET TNT2023 NBA Playoff bracketThe NBA Playoffs bracket includes eight teams from each conference in the first round.

☆ James leads surging Lakers into playoffs, Bucks enter as favourites
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Apr 11, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) celebrates the victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves following overtime at Crypto.com Arena. By clinching the Western Conference's seventh seed, the Lakers earned the right to face electrifying guard Ja Morant and the No. He's going to get to the paint one way or another," ESPN NBA analyst JJ Reddick said on a conference call. "He's going to elevate. He's going to decide what the hell to do in the air and he's probably going to score.

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