“A Cinderella that's going to win the NBA Championship" – Skip Bayless speculates Nuggets facing fierce Heat in Finals
The Denver Nuggets defeated the LA Lakers on Monday night to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. The Nuggets rode on the back of a pair of big performances from Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in the franchise's history.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, fans are eagerly waiting to see whether or not the Miami Heat will be able to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. With a nearly insurmountable 3-0 lead over the Boston Celtics, it seems highly likely that the Heat and the Nuggets will face off in the NBA Finals.
During a recent episode of "Undisputed," outspoken analyst Skip Bayless weighed in on the potential matchup. The way he sees things, this will be the first time during his life that the winner of the Larry O'Brien Trophy will be a Cinderella story. Bayless spoke to NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, saying:
"The point is, you continue to underestimate a team that is very underestimatable (Miami). I just think they're on such a roll that for the first time in my very long history of watching closely the NBA, we have a Cinderella that's going to win the NBA championship.
"We have an NCAA-like team, we have a March Madness darling, that's all of a sudden has come to life and I think they're legit."
Looking at the unlikely and impressive run of the Miami Heat ahead of a potential showdown with the Nuggets
Heading into the postseason, not many people predicted that the Miami Heat would go on a massive run the way they have. In the play-in tournament, the team nearly found themselves bounced by the Chicago Bulls. After securing the eighth seed, Denver sat as massive underdogs to the Milwaukee Bucks.
In the second round, Jimmy Butler-led Miami faced off against a familiar foe, coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks. Again, the Heat stunned the NBA community as they secured a series win to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Now, with an opportunity to close out the Boston Celtics and punch their ticket to the NBA Finals against the Nuggets, the Heat's unlikely run is set to reach new heights. Even though Victor Oladipo suffered a season-ending injury and Tyler Herro hasn't played since the first round, the Heat has their sights set on a title.
Standing in front of them, however, is a Denver Nuggets team who are fresh off a dominant sweep over the LA Lakers. After eliminating the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team knocked out the presumptive favorites to win the title, the Phoenix Suns, in the second round.
Now, with plenty of momentum behind them, Denver will hope to capture the first title in franchise history.
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