Former Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers doesn’t seem so sure that his old team is going to get the job done against the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Finals.
Chalmers, speaking before the series began, explained that the Nuggets may end up winning in seven games.
“This is a tough question for me because for me, I’m Heat nation,” he said. “You know, I hardly ever root against the Heat, but it’s going to be a tough one. I think Denver might get this one 4-3. I definitely think it’s going six or seven games. So with Denver having that home-court advantage, if it goes to Game 7, I think Denver could win four to three. But the way Miami just put it on Boston at home, you really never know. So I would say 4-3, I think that’ll be the series. I’m not going to say who’s winning the series, but I definitely think it’s going to be 4-3.”
Since Chalmers made his prediction, two games have been played. The Nuggets took the first, and the Heat captured the second.
Because both of those games were played in Denver, the Heat are arguably in the driver’s seat at the moment. They were able to steal home-court advantage away from the Nuggets by winning Game 2, essentially making the remainder of the series a best-of-five battle with three games set to be played in South Florida.
No one can blame Chalmers for having hesitations about picking the Heat, as their run throughout the 2023 NBA Playoffs has been difficult for many to put into words. They’re now three wins away from capping the run in the most magical way possible.
Game 3 of the series is set for Wednesday in Miami, and Game 4 will take place there on Friday. It’s never easy to put together a streak against a team as dangerous as the Nuggets, but if the Heat were to win Games 3 and 4 at home, they’d find themselves at a 3-1 advantage and just one win away from NBA heaven.
Chalmers knows what that feeling is like, as he won two NBA titles during his career — both of which came with the Heat. He helped the organization win it all in 2012 and 2013 during perhaps the most memorable era in Heat history.
If Miami can win the title this season, the current era of Heat basketball will go down in the history books as well. The team is close to making that dream a reality and will get back to work when Game 3 tips off.
