Despite coming off a week-long hiatus, the Nuggets showed few signs of rust in their Game 1 victory against the Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals.
Just like in the previous round against the Lakers, everybody contributed to the win, and the NBA 2023 odds favour them to win it all if they keep this up.
Meanwhile, the Raptors are the only team that still has a coaching vacancy, as the Sixers, Suns, and Pistons confirmed the hiring of their new coaches.
And last but not least, league commissioner Adam Silver spoke about Ja Morant’s gun-related issues.
SBOTOP has you covered with the latest NBA 2023 updates, so continue to read below.
Nuggets take Game 1, as expected
The bright lights of the NBA Finals didn’t faze the Nuggets as they dominated the Heat on their home floor during their 104-93 Game 1 win on Thursday.
Denver overwhelmed the Heat with their size and shot-making, and the scary part is that Nikola Jokic had his fingerprints all over Game 1 despite having only notched 12 attempts from the field.
The two-time MVP had 27 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds, making him the first player since Jason Kidd in 2002 to record a triple-double in his Finals debut.
Jamal Murray scored 26 points, and Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., and Jeff Green were the other double-digit scorers with 16, 14, and 10 points, respectively.
Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 26 points and 13 rebounds, but Jimmy Butler, the winner of this season’s ECF MVP, only had 13 points.
The cold shooting night for the Heat’s shooters certainly didn’t help their cause in Game 1. Caleb Martin, the hero for them in Game 7 against the Celtics, went 1-for-7 from the field for only three points, and Max Strus missed all of his 10 attempts from the field.
Miami were also 2-for-2 from the free throw line, which is tied for the fewest free throws ever made in a playoff game.
The Erik Spoelstra-coached team actually opened the final period on an 11-0 run to make it close, but Denver did just enough to keep their visitors at bay.
Unlike the Celtics, who have been inconsistent all playoffs long, the Nuggets are a much different animal, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Heat will respond tomorrow in Game 2.
Nurse, Vogel, and Williams secure new gigs
Nick Nurse, Frank Vogel, and Monty Williams have found their new homes, as they’re now with the Sixers, Suns, and Pistons, respectively.
Nurse was actually in the running for the Bucks and Suns’ openings, but he ultimately decided to go to Philadelphia for the chance to coach the reigning MVP, Joel Embiid.
He spoke to reporters for the first time as the Sixers head coach on Thursday. And when he was asked about James Harden’s free agency, instead of sidestepping the questions, Nurse said that he would prefer to have him back on their team next season.
Vogel and Williams, on the other hand, secured long-term contracts with their new clubs.
Vogel, who led the Lakers to the 2019-20 title, took a break from coaching after he was relieved of his duties last summer, and now he will get to coach All-NBA stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
In stark contrast, Williams will be overseeing a seemingly never-ending rebuild in Detroit. The six-year, $78.5 million contract is the largest coaching deal in NBA history, so we understand why he didn’t reject the offer.
Williams will be coaching the likes of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Jalen Duren, who were some of the Pistons’ lottery picks these past few years.
Silver mulling “harsh” Morant penalty
Ja Morant remains under investigation by the NBA for flashing a firearm on Instagram, but league commissioner Adam Silver said that the outcome of the investigation will not be revealed until after the NBA Finals.
The Grizzlies point guard was suspended for eight games in March after he held a gun in a Denver nightclub while being shown live on video, and he did the same thing in May, this time while in a car with his friends.
“Waving them around and displaying them in a certain context, is not consistent with gun safety and is not the proper message that an NBA player should be sending to the tens of millions of followers he has,” said Silver. It is widely expected that Morant is looking at a significant suspension that will be effective next season, which will be a huge blow for Memphis.
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