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If there's anything this year's iteration of the Miami Heat has shown, it's that they're not going to give up without a fight. The Heat have seven comeback wins after trailing by 10 or more points in this postseason alone, which ties the record the 2021-22 Golden State Warriors set. Thus, even with the Denver Nuggets taking a 3-1 series lead in the 2023 NBA Finals, the series is far from over.
And this is the exact mindset head coach Erik Spoelstra wants to instill in his team. As the old adage goes, it ain't over until the fat lady sings, and as long as the Nuggets don't have four NBA Finals wins yet, they can still mount a comeback, as unlikely as that would be.
“We have an incredibly competitive group. We've done everything the hard way, and that's the way it's going to have to be done right now, again. All we are going to focus on is getting this thing back to the 305. Get this thing back to Miami. And things can shift very quickly,” Spoelstra said in his postgame presser, per ASAP Sports.
The odds are definitely not in the Heat's favor. Out of 36 teams that have taken a 3-1 series lead in the NBA Finals, 35 have gone on to win the championship. Only the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers have managed to pull off the unthinkable. But the Heat have a veteran crew that has displayed incredible resiliency in this year's playoffs, and the goal now for Erik Spoelstra's men is to take it one game at a time.
“It's going to be a gnarly game in Denver that is built for the competitors that we have in our locker room. By the time we are getting on that plane, all we're thinking about is get this thing back to Miami,” Spoelstra added.
The Heat, at the very least, have been in this position before. Back in 2020, they won Game 5 thanks to a Jimmy Butler triple-double to extend the series after going down 3-1 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Another performance of a lifetime may be necessary for the Heat to prevent the Nuggets from marching towards the title.