2023 NBA Finals

• 1. Series Overview And Outcome

  ›

  The 2023 NBA Finals began on June 1 and concluded on June 12. The Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets defeated the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in five games. This victory marked the first championship in franchise history for Denver after 47 seasons in the league. It also made them the second former American Basketball Association team to win an NBA title, joining the San Antonio Spurs. Nikola Jokić was unanimously voted the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. He averaged 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.4 blocks while shooting 58.3% from the field.

  123

• 2. Miami Heat Playoff Journey

  ›

  The Miami Heat barely qualified for the playoffs in 2023 with a record of 44, 38. They finished dead last in points per game during the regular season. The team had to play two play-in games to extend their season. They lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first play-in but defeated the Chicago Bulls in the second to earn the eighth seed. In the first round, they faced the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a lower back contusion early in Game 1. Jimmy Butler scored a career-high 56 points in Game 4 to put the Bucks on the brink of elimination. The Heat became the sixth 8-seeded team to defeat a 1-seed in playoff history. They later defeated the Boston Celtics in seven games to reach their seventh overall NBA Finals appearance.

  678910

• 3. Denver Nuggets Championship Run

  ›

  The Denver Nuggets entered the 2022, 23 season with key players Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. healthy again. They traded for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and signed Bruce Brown in free agency. The team finished the season with a 53, 29 record and clinched the top seed in the Western Conference. In the first round, they won in five games over the Minnesota Timberwolves. They then defeated the Phoenix Suns in six games after losing the series opener. The Nuggets swept the Los Angeles Lakers in four games during the conference finals. This marked their first sweep of an opponent in franchise history. Jokić was awarded Western Conference finals MVP as he surpassed Wilt Chamberlain for the most triple-doubles in a single postseason. The franchise appeared in the championship round once in the ABA in 1975, 76 before merging with the NBA.

  1112131415

• 4. Game By Game Breakdown

  ›

  Game 1 ended on June 1 with a 104, 93 win for Denver. Nikola Jokić recorded a triple-double while Jamal Murray contributed 26 points and 10 assists. Game 2 saw Miami rally from a 15-point deficit to win 111, 108. Gabe Vincent scored 23 points and Duncan Robinson went 4-for-4 from three-point range. Game 3 concluded on June 7 with a 109, 94 victory for Denver. Jokić and Murray became the first pair of teammates to each record a 30-point triple-double in the same game. Game 4 ended on June 9 with a 108, 95 win for Denver. Aaron Gordon dropped a game-high 27 points. Game 5 took place on June 12, ending with a 94, 89 victory for the Nuggets. Jokić scored 28 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to secure the series.

  1617181920

• 5. Nikola Jokic Historic Performance

  ›

  Nikola Jokić averaged 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.4 blocks during the Finals. He shot 58.3% from the field and 42.1% from the 3-point line. He became the lowest-selected player to ever win Finals MVP as the 41st pick of the 2014 NBA draft. In Game 3, he recorded 32 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists. This made him the first player to record 30-plus points, 20-plus rebounds, and 10-plus assists in a finals game. He also became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in points (600), rebounds (269), and assists (190) in a single postseason run. His performance earned him unanimous selection as the Finals MVP.

  2122232425

• 6. Media Coverage And Viewership

  ›

  The Finals were televised in the United States by ABC for the 21st consecutive year. Game 1 received an alternate presentation anchored by Stephen A. Smith on ESPN2. The series was called by Mike Breen with Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy as analysts. Lisa Salters served as the sideline reporter. This marked the final NBA Finals called by the trio of Breen, Jackson, and Van Gundy. Average viewership reached 11.64 million American households across the five games. Game 5 drew the highest audience at 13.08 million viewers. Van Gundy set the record for calling his 17th NBA Finals as an analyst before being laid off by ESPN on the 30th of June 2023.

  2627282930

• 7. Post-Series Celebrations And Incidents

  ›

  A parade from Union Station to Civic Center Park in Denver was scheduled for 10 a.m. on June 15. During celebrations in downtown Denver immediately following the win, there were two shootings that resulted in at least eleven people being shot. Nine victims were identified on the 2000 block of Market Street. Another shooting occurred on 17th Street and Blake Street. Three of those shot were reported as in critical condition as of the morning of June 13. During the parade, a Denver police officer was struck in the lower leg by a fire truck transporting players including Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray. Jokić's wife, Natalija, was hit in the face with a beer can while riding on the fire truck.

  3132333435