The Miami Heat face the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 tonight as the 2023 NBA Finals get underway in the mile high city. Tipoff for Game 1 will be at 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 1 with a live broadcast on ABC.
• WATCH HERE: Nuggets vs. Heat Game 1 with Sling (cheapest, best NBA playoffs streaming option) or watch for free with Fubo (free trial). You can also see the odds and other streaming and TV options for this game provided below.
What TV channel is Nuggets vs. Heat Game 1 on tonight?
Game 1 will be broadcast live on ABC, with the Inside the NBA studio show happening before, at halftime and following the conclusion of the game. If you don’t know what channel ABC is on in your area, you can use our ABC channel finder for the following services: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast / Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, Cox, DIRECTV, Dish.
If you have a HDTV antennae, you can watch this match locally on channel 2.1 or 24 in the Portland metro area. If you need to get one, this Gesobyte brand HDTV antennae is currently the top selling HDTV antennae product on Amazon. It goes for under $30 and ships quickly with Prime. If you already have a Prime account, you should be able to get it and be watching college football, Timbers matches, network TV and local news as soon as it arrives.
Can I watch Nuggets vs. Heat Game 1 online for free?
If you don’t already have cable, the best way to watch Game 1 live is with Sling (promotional offers, cheapest streaming plans) as a one month signup would allow you to watch this game and the rest of the NBA Finals for $20. If you just want to watch this game for free, you can also watch Nuggets vs. Heat tonight for free with Fubo (free trial), or with DirecTV Stream (free trial) if you prefer that platform and their pricing plans.
Game 1 predictions: Who will win between the Nuggets and Heat?
The oddsmakers are favoring the Nuggets to win this game and take an early lead in the series. Here are the latest betting odds, courtesy of Draft Kings.
Moneyline: MIA: (+295) | DEN: (-360)
Point spread: MIA: +8.5 | DEN: -8.5
Over/Under: 219
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Prediction: Denver is a nine-point favorite in Game 1. But with the Nuggets perhaps rusty since finishing off the Lakers on May 22, the Heat may have another chance to open with a road win. Even if they do, this time it won’t matter. Jokic and Murray are on too much of a roll to be stopped now. It took Denver a long time to get to the NBA Finals, but it will be worth the wait. Nuggets in 6.
Here’s a look at what the experts are saying leading up to tonight’s Game 1, from The Associated Press:
East No. 8 MIAMI HEAT (44-38, 12-6) vs. West No. 1 DENVER NUGGETS (53-29, 12-3)
Storyline: The Nuggets have cruised to the first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history behind Jokic, the two-time NBA MVP who is averaging 29.9 points, 13.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists in the postseason. The Heat are here for the seventh time, though this is their most surprising trip. Minutes away from missing the playoffs entirely, they went on to become the second No. 8 seed to reach the finals, joining the New York Knicks in 1999.
How they got here: Heat — beat No. 1 Milwaukee 4-1, beat No. 5 New York 4-2, beat No. 2 Boston 4-3. Nuggets — beat No. 8 Minnesota 4-1; beat No. 4 Phoenix 4-2; beat No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers 4-0.
Season series: Nuggets, 2-0. Denver’s two victories came by a combined nine points, with a 124-119 home win on Dec. 30 and a 112-108 victory in Miami on Feb. 13.
Starters: Heat — F Jimmy Butler, F Caleb Martin, C Bam Adebayo, G Max Strus, G Gabe Vincent. Nuggets — F Michael Porter Jr., F Aaron Gordon, C Nikola Jokic, G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G Jamal Murray.
Key reserves: Heat — F Kevin Love, F Haywood Highsmith, F Duncan Robinson, C Cody Zeller, G Kyle Lowry. Nuggets — F Bruce Brown, F Jeff Green, F Christian Braun.
Injury watch: Miami’s Tyler Herro, out since breaking his hand in the postseason opener against Milwaukee, has been working out in hopes of playing in this series.
Numbers of note: The Heat haven’t won in Denver since Nov. 30, 2016. … Denver is 8-0 at home in the postseason and has won six straight overall since being tied 2-2 with the Suns. … The Heat have won Game 1 on the road in all three series thus far. … In Jokic and Murray (27.7 ppg), the Nuggets have two of the top nine scorers in this postseason. Butler (28.5) is seventh. … Miami’s bench has outscored its opponents by 213 points in the postseason. … The Heat lost their past two home games after winning their first six of the postseason.
NBA FINALS SCHEDULE & RESULTS
• Game 1: Heat at Nuggets, 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 1 (ABC)
• Game 2: Heat at Nuggets, 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 4 (ABC)
• Game 3: Nuggets at Heat, 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 7 (ABC)
• Game 4: Nuggets at Heat, 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET on Friday, June 9 (ABC)
• *Game 5: Heat at Nuggets, 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET on Monday, June 12 (ABC)
• *Game 6: Nuggets at Heat, 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 15 (ABC)
• *Game 7: Heat at Nuggets, 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 18 (ABC)
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