Fact or Fiction: Have the Heat already found the formula to beat the Nuggets in the NBA Finals?

The NBA Finals comes to Miami with a series tied to a win between the Heat and the Nuggets.

Now home-field advantage is held by the Heat, but Denver has already shown in the playoffs that they are strong on the road.

NBA experts answer five questions about the sequel to the NBA Finals.

1- On the way to Games 3 and 4, what does Michael Malone lose sleep over?

First of all, I would say that he is losing sleep over the fact that he is talking about lack of effort in the NBA Finals. The Nuggets have not played with the disposition and will that a scenario like this demands, and they have barely looked like the team with the most desire, and in most cases with the contributions from the bench of Christian Braun and Bruce Brown. Going more tactically, Mike Malone has to find a way to give Nikola Jokic more touches in the low post; he had just nine in Game 2, and once there it’s pretty much automatic offense. It is with his back to the basket, when Jokic is particularly lethal, and from there he usually involves his teammates more in the offensive formula. (Sebastian M. Christensen)

2- On the way to Games 3 and 4, what is Erik Spoelstra losing sleep over?

On offense, the potential return of Tyler Herro to the rotation. Beyond his health, it is about reincorporating an important scorer into offensive fluidity. If he’s fit, a key man. In defense, of course, Nikola Jokic and his ability to read defensive strategies and readjust to the context to make others better. Engage to make the Nuggets ecosystem shine. Another concern is to bother Jamal Murray as much as possible so that he does not calibrate from the dribble and continues playing as uncomfortable as in the second game. And as for the general, of course, the wear. The Heat, sooner or later, can pay the price of exhaustion thanks to defensive overexertion. (Bruno Altieri)

3- What does Denver have to fix to win in Miami?

There is a very curious fact in this series: the low number of possessions that the Nuggets had. It was just 75 in Sunday’s game, four fewer than Game 1, indicating that Miami is controlling the pace. Without a doubt, in order to win, Denver must speed up its attack, try to run more transitions and have more (and better) shooting opportunities. In this way you will be able to find more scoring options from players who are not named Murray or Jokic. The remaining key must be defensive effort and discipline, something not seen in Game 2 of the series. His coach, Michel Malone, said Tuesday that effort and intensity are not negotiable. That’s where the thing happens too. (Marcelo Bousquet)

4- Fact or fiction: the Heat have already found the formula to win the Final.

From what was seen in Game 2 in which he kept Jokic out of his assist role and kept most of his starters in double figures, it seems so; However, now it’s up to coach Michael Malone to adjust his pieces for Game 3 and then if Miami comes out ahead, you might think that this is the correct formula to reach the championship. As long as the sum of points does not fall only on Jimmy Butler, or Bam Adebayo, the Heat have elements to face Denver, even more so with the possible reinstatement of Tyler Herro, but players like Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martín must continue at the level they showed in Game 2, because if they returned to irregularity or low production, they would be giving Denver facilities to take advantage in the Finals. (Rolando del Bosque)

5- The X factor in games 3 and 4 will be…

The X factor in Games 3 and 4 will be the fourth quarter. If we have seen anything in the first two games, it is that Miami has dominated the fourth quarter and it was there that they took the opportunity to recover the advantage and seal the victory against Denver as visitors in the second game. In that game, the Heat had a 69% effectiveness from the field and 56% from long distance for 36 points, against 25 for the Nuggets in that quarter alone. The key will be which team can better manage the moments of the game, in particular, in the final minutes with the baskets from the perimeter. Will it be Duncan Robinson with another crucial 3-pointer in the fourth quarter? Or maybe Jamal Murray will be able to show up for Denver at the critical moment like he’s been doing in the postseason. They are the ones who will tip the balance. (Katia Castorena)