Nuggets represent steep mountain to climb for upset-minded Miami Heat

Only Bam Adebayo remains on the roster among the seven leading scorers who helped the Miami Heat notch their last victory over the Denver Nuggets. It was so long ago that Jae Crowder and Kendrick Nunn were in the starting lineup. Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala contributed off the bench.

You may remember it as the first game Miami played after the COVID-interrupted season resumed in the bubble at HP Field House inside Disney’s Wide World of Sports.

Denver is 13-1 against Miami since 2019 and seeks its seventh straight win at Ball Arena against its South Florida-based visitors.

“I don’t remember the last time we’ve won there in a regular-season game. It’s been a long time,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Let’s stack up as much as we can. We’ll play it on Mt. Everest if we have to.”

Hassan Whiteside led the way the last time Miami left the Mile High City with a win back on Nov. 30, 2016. Wayne Ellington, now on staff as a player development coach, added 22 points off the bench. That was so long ago that Nikola Jokic was behind Jusuf Nurkic on Denver’s depth chart.

Fast forward to late 2025 and we find these teams atop their respective conferences in scoring. The sample size is small and it’s early, but both are expected to lace them up and run. The Nuggets have seen the ‘over’ cash in four of six, while the Heat has come in on the high side in five of seven. It’s no surprise oddsmakers have set the total at 241.5, the highest among the NBA’s 11 Wednesday contests.

Pulling off an upset would help the Heat, a 9.5-point underdog, secure a 2-2 split on a difficult West Coast swing that will be the team’s longest until January. Miami can also lock up at least a .500 record through its first 10 games entering a four-game homestand that starts with games against Charlotte and Portland on Friday and Saturday before a pair of matchups with Cleveland next week.

Nuggets perfect at home early after offseason tweak

The Nuggets will come in at full strength, having upgraded Jamal Murray to probable after he got through Monday’s 130-124 win over the Kings without the calf strain that had been bothering him acting up. All five Denver starters scored in double-figures against Sacramento, while Bruce Brown, back in the role of swiss army knife off the bench, made a huge impact.

Michael Porter Jr. was unloaded to Brooklyn in the offseason, but Cam Johnson has fit in nicely on the wing to round out David Adelman’s starting five. Jokic finished with 34 points, 14 assists and four steals to knock off the Kings, so he’s already in midseason form. The three-time MVP’s scoring output was a season-best, and he’s averaging a triple-double (22.7 ppg, 13.2 rpg, 11.3 apg) through his first six outings.

Spoelstra’s Mt. Everest comment suggests he’s eager to see how his team handles playing at the intense pace that has helped produce an average of 123.9 points while battling altitude. Only the Nuggets (125.0) and Rockets (124.8) enter Wednesday with a higher scoring average, and this matchup features two of the five teams in the league in best true shooting percentage (TS%). Both teams are getting great looks and executing at a high level.

Adebayo has already had to deal with Victor Wembanyama and the efficient Ivica Zubac, faring well on both ends of the floor. Miami’s chances begin and end with how he fares against Jokic, and he’s been able to effectively avoid foul trouble in 11 consecutive games against Denver, playing at least 28 minutes each time out and posting averages of 18.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists. In that same span, Jokic has played at least 32 minutes each time out, posting 21.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists.

Kel’el Ware will also see Joker duty. Ideally, he’ll deliver his best effort since his struggles early in the season have been one of the few concerns for a roster that’s overachieving.

Given Miami’s history against Denver, this won’t be a referendum on this group, but is an opportunity for this Heat squad to prove they’re special by continuing to tread water without All-Star guard Tyler Herro.

Nuggets perfect at home early after offseason tweak

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