The Nuggets regained home-court advantage with a win in Game 3, and now they’ll look to put themselves one win away from their first NBA championship in franchise history.
It feels like do-or-die time for the Heat, who are desperate for a home win before the series shifts back to Denver for Game 5. Trailing 2-1 in the series, Miami cannot afford to drop back-to-back home games.
The spotlight will be on Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, but the Heat will need their role players to step up the way they did in the Eastern Conference Finals. If the Nuggets’ star duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray can replicate what they did in Game 3, Miami’s hopes of pulling off an all-time underdog story just might come up short.
For live updates, highlights and more from Game 4, The Sporting News has you covered below.
MORE: Is Jamal Murray a superstar? Playoff stats provide clear answer
Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
Nuggets | 20 | 35 | |||
Heat | 21 | 30 |
10:06 p.m.: The Nuggets opened the second half on a 10-4 run to build a 10-point lead and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra wants a timeout. Aaron Gordon found a cutting Jamal Murray on a beautiful bounce pass for a layup to put Miami up 65-55 with 7:35 to play in the quarter.
9:42 p.m.: Another “Bam Slam” sent the Miami crowd into a frenzy as the Heat keep the score tight heading into halftime. Kyle Lowry provided a punch off the bench by chipping in 13 points, while Jimmy Butler’s 14 points and five assists lead the way for his team.
Aaron Gordon’s second-quarter explosion has him up to 16 points on the night, while Nikola Jokic added 16 points of his own despite battling through a sore ankle. Jamal Murray has been quiet so far, only adding six points and four assists.
BAM THROWS IT DOWN 🔥
Miami cuts the lead 4 with a run late in Q2 on ABC! pic.twitter.com/N4x0CCeOS4
— NBA (@NBA) June 10, 2023
9:30 p.m.: The Aaron Gordon show has broken out in Game 4. The athletic forward is up to 15 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting from the field in the second quarter to help the Nuggets build a 48-43 lead with 2:41 to play in the half.
He’s buried a 3-pointer, thrown down a vicious dunk in traffic and finished a beautiful alley-oop pass from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to highlight his outburst.
AG SHOWING OUT ⚒
He’s up to 15 PTS on 6-6 FG in Q2 alone as Denver leads with under 3 minutes to go in the half!#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/GbAObZMJcL
— NBA (@NBA) June 10, 2023
9:20 p.m.: Nikola Jokic went to the locker room at the end of the first quarter after tweaking his ankle, but he has returned to the game and buried a 3 on his first possession back.
9:15 p.m.: All of a sudden, the Heat are creating easy looks on offense. Duncan Robinson buried an open corner 3 off a Jimmy Butler assist, then Robinson found a cutting Butler wide open for a layup. Timeout Denver with the game tied 30-30 early in the second quarter.
Jimmy to Duncan, Duncan to Jimmy 🤝 pic.twitter.com/f0TiHYMqYJ
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) June 10, 2023
9:06 p.m.: We have ourselves a ballgame. The Heat closed the quarter on a 10-2 run, capped off by a buzzer-beating corner 3 from Jimmy Butler to give Miami a 21-20 lead. Butler was sensational in the first frame, scoring or assisting on 14 of the Heat’s 21 points.
Jimmy triple to beat the buzzer ‼️ pic.twitter.com/pPxyaEwYJB
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) June 10, 2023
8:58 p.m.: The Nuggets’ defense has been stifling early on. They have held the Heat to 5-for-14 shooting from the field and 1-for-7 shooting from 3, making them work for every bucket. Jamal Murray is starting to find a groove, knocking down a 3-pointer to give him six points on the night. Denver leads 18-11 with 2:06 to play in the first frame.
Step-back Jamal 🏹 pic.twitter.com/Fx5iDayCzR
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) June 10, 2023
8:47 p.m.: It’s been a scrappy start to Game 4, with both teams knotted at 7-7 five minutes into the contest. Bam Adebayo (4 PTS) has been aggressive on the offensive end again — which is always a good sign for Miami. Michael Porter Jr. still hasn’t snapped out of his funk, missing back-to-back bunnies at the rim.
Jimmy with the no-look to Bam for 2
All tied up in Q1. Tune in on ABC 📺 pic.twitter.com/MIef0jltPx
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) June 10, 2023
8:00 p.m.: Although there was some speculation the Heat may switch up their starting lineup, head coach Erik Spoelstra is going with the same five. Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love and Bam Adebayo.
First up on the floor pic.twitter.com/sZALM5aPBx
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) June 10, 2023
8:00 p.m.: Same starting five for the Nuggets: Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic.
Starting 🖐#BringItIn pic.twitter.com/y1JhaYNcvj
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) June 9, 2023
Nuggets vs. Heat will air on ABC. Viewers can also stream the game on Sling TV.
Fans in the U.S. can watch the NBA Finals on Sling TV, which is now offering half off your first month! Stream the sports you love starting at just $20 in your first month with Sling Orange to catch all the games on ABC.
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Nuggets vs. Heat will tip off around 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday, June 9. The game will be played at the Kaseya Center in Miami.
Denver is a 3.5-point favorite heading into Game 4.
Game Lines | Nuggets | Heat |
Spread | -3.5 | +3.5 |
Moneyline | -165 | +140 |
Odds courtesy of BetMGM, an authorized gaming operator of the NBA. Click HERE to sign up.
Here is the complete schedule for the 2023 NBA Finals:
Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
June 1 | Nuggets 104, Heat 93 | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
June 4 | Heat 111, Nuggets 108 | 8 p.m. | ABC |
June 7 | Nuggets 109, Heat 94 | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
June 9 | Game 4 | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
June 12 | Game 5 | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
June 15 | Game 6* | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
June 18 | Game 7* | 8 p.m. | ABC |
*If necessary
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