Despite the Denver Nuggets making their NBA Finals debut against Miami, Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals led to low TV ratings. According to The TV Ratings Guide, the series opener averaged 7.62 million viewers, a drop from last year’s 11.4 million viewers for Game 1 of Celtics versus Warriors.
However, all ratings talk aside, Game 1 played out as expected – Denver would dominate. Nuggets superstar, Nikola Jokic, put on a stellar performance in his first Finals appearance, finishing with 27 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds. Hosting Miami, Denver would lead by as much as 24 points, and hold on for the win, despite Miami’s late run in the fourth quarter. Can Miami carry over that momentum into Game 2 on Sunday, or will Denver take an easy 2-0 series lead?
Let’s take a quick look at the box score between the two teams.
Just one of Miami’s key players surpassed 20 points, as Bam Adebayo finished with 26. Jimmy Butler, whose offensive explosiveness helped Miami’s run against the Celtics, had a rather calm game with just 13 points. He did, however, contribute seven assists, and seven rebounds. Gabe Vincent, who is having a standout post-season, finished with 19 points, and five assists. Just two other Heat players ended the game in double figures, including Haywood Highsmith and Kyle Lowry.
For Denver, five players finished in double figures, led by Jokic and Jamal Murray. The dynamic duo also made plays, dishing out a combined 24 assists! Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., and Bruce Brown proved to also be offensive assets, while Michael Porter Jr. wreaked havoc on the boards, finishing with 13 rebounds.
Overall, Miami went deeper into their bench for contributions, while Denver kept just an 8-man rotation throughout the game. It will be interesting to see what adjustments, if any, from both teams this Sunday.
