Who would come out on top in a clash of the two most in-form teams in the NBA?
While the Miami Heat are taking the Eastern Conference by storm with their current 24-game winning streak, over in the West the Denver Nuggets are putting together a strong run of their own.
George Karl’s men have won 14 consecutive games as they continue their ascent of the Western Conference, and are knocking on the door of a top three seed finish.
Should the pair meet in the NBA finals, who would come out on top?
Our US sports experts debate disagree on the issue…Sumeet has picked Miami to take the series win, while Chris has gone against everyone in the NBA and strongly backs Denver.
Miami Heat – Sumeet Paul
A strong case can be made for Miami, as they continue what has been a remarkable winning streak that has the potential to break the NBA record.
The longest streak in NBA history currently stands at 33, as set by the Los Angeles Lakers back in the 1970s.
However, the Heat have shown over the course of the last two months that they are more than capable of surpassing it, finding a way to win against the best in the league.
It’s hasn’t all been simple though, with their last game against the Cleveland Cavaliers a case in point, having to overcome a 27-point deficit in order to maintain their run.
A series clash against the Denver Nuggets would undoubtedly provide it’s own tests. Despite having LeBron James lead them out, the MVP-in-waiting and his team-mates would struggle against the dominant big men of the Nuggets.
A key strength of the Heat is their ability to control the court and their ball movement. While James is their go-to guy more often than not, they have Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as options inside the paint, while the likes of Shane Battier and Ray Allen know exactly how to drain a three.
They have had their troubles against big opposition in the past though, with Eastern rivals the Indiana Pacers a perfect example. However, given the sheer power that their offense possesses combined with experience of seeing out vital games, you would have to back the Miami Heat to edge a tightly-contested series.
Denver Nuggets – Chris Swann
Where do you start with the Nuggets? A team that many considered would be battling for a playoff spot until the very end of the season, it seems the young team are playing well above themselves at present, as they continue their incredible 14 game run.
The one huge surprise is the performance of center Javale McGee. Signing from the Wizards during the off-season, McGee had become more known for his hilarious on-court mistakes than his actual play, and has this year dominated inside the paint for the Nuggets, proving to be an excellent shot blocker.
Then you have the emerging and exceptional play of Kenneth Faried. The power forward has emerged from nowhere to become a real scoring threat for the Nuggets. Alongside McGee, he is working wonders defensively, and is one of the most exciting young talents in the game, and will no doubt have a multiple All-Star future ahead of him.
The thing that sets apart the Nuggets from anyone else is their unbelievable team unity. For a team where nothing of this magnitude was expected of them this season, they have taken every single game in their stride as they went 14 straight with a last second win over Philadelphia on Wednesday night.
How this game will pan out will remain a mystery, unless they both reach the finals. If this match-up does happen, then Denver would win this in seven games. The team right now is playing inspired basketball and will come through in the big moments. Plus Lebron is terrible in high pressured games, especially game seven…
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