Category: NBA Finals

MIAMI – Less than two weeks after their season came to an end with a Game 5 loss to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat turned to the future at Thursday’s NBA draft with the selection of UCLA swingman Jaime Jaquez Jr. with the No. 18 choice. Because the NBA does not reseed teams based on playoff results, the Heat wound up picking in the middle of the first round in the wake of closing the 2022-23 regular season at 44-38. For the Heat, the addition of 22-year-old Jaquez adds to a youth component that also includes 20-year-old 2022 first-round pick Nikola Jovic, who went No. 27...

MIAMI — For the Miami Heat, the pursuit of Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal ultimately turned into a rerun of the team’s pursuit of when Kevin Durant last season distanced himself from the Brooklyn Nets — in each case, losing out to the Phoenix Suns. Beal, according to multiple NBA sources, on Sunday agreed to waive his no-trade clause to go from the Wizards to the Suns, with the Heat having stood as the other finalist in the trade negotiations. Now the question is whether Pat Riley and the Heat front office hedged their pursuit of Beal because of greater focus on potentially landing Portland...

MIAMI — Homecourt advantage proved fleeting for the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. What was gained with Sunday’s victory at Ball Arena was relinquished Wednesday night at the Kaseya Center, with a 109-94 loss to the Denver Nuggets in the Game 3 of the best-of-seven series. That puts the Nuggets up 2-1 going into Friday’s Game 4 back on the Heat’s court, with each team with up to two remaining home games. Essentially accused by coach Michael Malone of cowering in Game 2, the Nuggets basically arrived to South Florida and kicked sand on the Heat’s faces, closing with a 58-33 rebounding advantage. It...

DENVER — The Miami Heat’s shock and awe continues. This time at altitude. And with an attitude. Until Sunday night, visitors were 0-9 against the Denver Nuggets this postseason at mile-high Ball Arena.. Of course, prior to this season, no No. 8 seed had made the NBA Finals during an uninterrupted season. For the Heat, just another step forward on this unlikeliest of playoff rides, turning thin air in a breath of new life with a 111-108 victory that evened the best-of-seven championship series at 1-1 heading into Wednesday night’s Game 3 at Kaseya Center. Seizing control in the fourth quarter,...

DENVER – The Miami Heat now will have to flip the script. Having won their opening game of their first three series during this underdog run to the NBA Finals, the Heat for the first time this postseason will have to play from behind. Three days after an emotional Game 7 road victory to push past the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, the Heat had the look of a team short on energy, height and shooting, falling 104-93 Thursday night to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. With their fourth loss in their last five games, the Heat were unable to rekindle the East finals...