The NBA Finals are finally set to get underway on Thursday night in the Mile High City, with the Denver Nuggets playing host to the resilient Miami Heat.
Although the Nuggets are the favorites to come out on top in this seven-game series, head coach Mike Malone is taking no chances against a team that has defied the odds throughout the entire NBA playoffs thus far.
Malone has had a bit of an edge to him during this playoff run for the Nuggets, as he’s been upset that his top-seeded team hasn’t gotten more credit for dominating the competition up to this point in the postseason.
Ahead of Game 1 on Thursday, Malone showed that edginess again as he talked about his daughter asking him if he was nervous coming into this game and said the following, according to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.
Michael Malone says his daughter asked him last night if he’s nervous for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
“I’m not because we’re prepared.”
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) June 1, 2023
Clearly, Malone is as sharp as a razor right now and ready to take on the tall task of beating a team that has been the underdog ever since punching their ticket to the playoffs in the play-in tournament.
The Heat are a team not to be taken lightly as they are led by a scrappy leader with an old-school style and attitude in Jimmy Butler, and coached by one of the best to ever do it in Erik Spoelstra, who already has two NBA titles to his credit as a head coach.
The Nuggets are expecting a battle, and they’ll likely get it, with the Heat being one of the best teams on the road during this postseason.
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