Miami Heat vs Denver Nuggets: Match Preview and Predictions - 5th November 2019
Match details
Fixture: Miami Heat vs Denver Nuggets
Date & Time: Tuesday, 5th November 2019 (9:00 PM ET)
Venue: Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
Last game results
Miami Heat (5-1): 129-100 win over the Houston Rockets (3rd November)
Denver Nuggets (4-2): 91-87 win over the Orlando Magic (2nd November)
Miami Heat Preview
Entering the season, many experts believed that an increasingly youthful Miami roster would need time plenty of time to find their rhythm. However, Erik Spoelstra's men have made a stunning 5-1 start to the season. In addition to beating the Milwaukee Bucks in overtime, the Heat underlined their credentials by scoring 46 points during a record-breaking first quarter against the Rockets on Sunday.
Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Justise Winslow have all performed well and represent the future of the franchise, while in Jimmy Butler, the Heat have someone who is a known winner. They to Denver as the NBA's biggest surprise package and Spoelstra will be hoping that his fearless team can come away with a sixth win in seven games.
Key Player - Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler missed the first month of the season due to the birth of his first child, although the four-time All-Star has looked sharp since his return. Butler scored 21 on his debut, before putting in his most impressive performance to date during Miami's huge win over the Rockets. Many questioned whether his addition would be enough to transform the Heat into contenders, although Butler is quickly proving the doubters wrong.
Heat predicted starting lineup
Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Meyers Leonard, Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn
Denver Nuggets Preview
The Nuggets enter the game with a 4-2 record, although even their most recent 91-87 victory of the Orlando Magic was far from straight forward. Scoring has been a problem for the Nuggets through six games, and they currently sit among the lowest in the league for points at just 103.5 per game.
Nevertheless, the Denver roster possesses scorers, and it should only be a matter of time before the likes of Jamal Murray and reserve options such as Jerami Grant start to make a bigger impact on the offensive end.
Key Player - Nikola Jokic
Just like the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic has made a slow start to the season, although the 24-year-old is still averaging 15.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in just 30.7 minutes per contest. Jokic looked sharp against the Magic in his last outing and he could post a third triple-double of the season against the Heat.
Nuggets predicted lineup
Torrey Craig, Paul Milsap, Nikola Jokic, Gary Harris, Jamal Murray
Heat vs Nuggets Match Prediction
This is an intriguing matchup as the Nuggets and Heat are well matched on paper. While Denver has homecourt advantage, the outcome could depend on which members of the supporting cast on each side step up. Ultimately, the Nuggets are slight favorites to take home the win, although the Heat will be hopeful of keeping up their excellent form.
Where to watch Heat vs Nuggets?
There will be local coverage of the game on Altitude 2 from 9:00 PM (ET). You can also live stream the game via NBA League Pass.