Miami Heat lineup changes, Jovic & Jokic and other keys vs Nuggets

June 4th, 2023. The Miami Heat tied up the NBA Finals series at 1-1 against the Nuggets in Denver, before going onto lose the next three games.

That was the last time the Heat beat the Nuggets.

It's never been easy heading up to Denver to get a win, but playing the Nikola Jokic led Nuggets hasn't been easy at home either. The Heat are trying to extend this mini winning streak to three games tonight.

The good news is that it looks like Bam Adebayo will be making a much needed return in this match-up, while Tyler Herro remains sidelined.

So let's just jump into some keys to this one:

1. Defensive assignments to watch for.

Nov 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins (22) and center Kel'el Ware (7) defend on Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The starting lineup could be on the move again for Miami. Although I've pushed keeping Kel'el Ware in the starting lineup for good, it wouldn't shock me if he's moved to the bench tonight. Deploying Bam Adebayo on Nikola Jokic is an obvious must, but the smaller Denver counter pieces point toward Miami keeping Pelle Larsson in that first unit. Davion Mitchell on Jamal Murray to counter that two-man game with Jokic, while Larsson, Andrew Wiggins, and Norman Powell take on Tim Hardaway Jr, Peyton Watson, and Spencer Jones. Miami can put Ware on one of those guys as a perimeter helper, but curious to see if Erik Spoelstra will actually do it.

2. Can another Nikola be an X-Factor tonight?

Dec 27, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers center James Wiseman (11) during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Nikola Jovic is coming off a big, and much needed, game from an individual perspective. 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists says a lot about his night, but it was more about the ways he was producing it. Controlling the pace of the game, being a primary connector in the second unit, and building some much needed confidence. Now heading into a match-up against a familiar face, in his national team teammate Nikola Jokic, they're going to need this same type of energy. Building off that solid performance is important, since a confident Jovic is a highly effective Jovic.

3. A Norman Powell night.

Nov 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) defends on Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) in the fourth quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

In the loss in Denver this season, Norman Powell put together a decent 23 point night along with 4 threes. It's a team he's found success against in his career, especially during his time with the LA Clippers. The revolving door of Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas means a whole lot of drop coverage for Powell to operate against on the perimeter. The issue is that there's less exploiting it without screens, which is why there may be a tad more picks in this game to open things up a bit. The way to beat a team like this who controls the possession game is to out-shoot them. Powell will be a needed aggressor on the perimeter.