1st Quarter Report
Only three more quarters stand between the Nuggets and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Heat 36-20.
The Nuggets entered the matchup having won four straight and they’re just three quarters away from another. Will they make it five, or will the Heat step up and spoil it? We’ll know soon.
Who’s Playing
Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets
Current Records: Miami 33-25, Denver 40-19
How To Watch
When: Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 10 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
Follow: CBS Sports App
Online Streaming: Catch select NBA matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
Ticket Cost: $42.69
What to Know
The Nuggets are 9-1 against the Heat since April of 2021, and they’ll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. Having just played yesterday, the Denver Nuggets will get right back to it and host the Miami Heat at 10:00 p.m. ET on February 29th at Ball Arena. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as the Nuggets come in on four and the Heat on five.
Winning is just a little bit easier when your shooting is a whole 13.5% better than the opposition, a fact the Nuggets proved on Wednesday. Everything went their way against Sacramento as Denver made off with a 117-96 win. The Nuggets were down 47-32 with 8:00 left in the second quarter but they still came back for the handy 21-point win.
The Nuggets got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Jamal Murray out in front who scored 32 points along with six assists. Murray continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he’s played. Another player making a difference was Nikola Jokic, who dropped a triple-double on 14 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Meanwhile, the defenses reigned supreme when the Heat and the Trail Blazers played on Tuesday, rewarding bettors who took the risk on the low 212.5-point over/under. Miami walked away with a 106-96 victory over the Trail Blazers. The Heat were down 22-7 with 3:56 left in the first quarter but they still came back for the handy ten-point win.
The Heat can attribute much of their success to Jimmy Butler, who almost dropped a double-double on 22 points and nine assists. Butler has been hot recently, having posted three or more steals the last four times he’s played.
Denver’s victory bumped their record up to 40-19. As for Miami, they pushed their record up to 33-25 with that victory, which was their sixth straight on the road.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Nuggets haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 11.8 turnovers per game (they’re ranked fourth in turnovers per game overall). However, it’s not like the Heat struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging only 12.3 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Nuggets and the Heat pleased both fans and bettors in their last games by winning and covering the spread. Looking ahead, the Nuggets are the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 4.5 points. Miami might be worth a quick bet since they’ve covered the spread the last eight times they’ve played.
Odds
Denver is a 4.5-point favorite against Miami, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Nuggets as a 5.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 214 points.
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Series History
Denver has won 9 out of their last 10 games against Miami.
Jun 12, 2023 – Denver 94 vs. Miami 89
Jun 09, 2023 – Denver 108 vs. Miami 95
Jun 07, 2023 – Denver 109 vs. Miami 94
Jun 04, 2023 – Miami 111 vs. Denver 108
Jun 01, 2023 – Denver 104 vs. Miami 93
Feb 13, 2023 – Denver 112 vs. Miami 108
Dec 30, 2022 – Denver 124 vs. Miami 119
Nov 29, 2021 – Denver 120 vs. Miami 111
Nov 08, 2021 – Denver 113 vs. Miami 96
Apr 14, 2021 – Denver 123 vs. Miami 106