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Heat shot 31% on wide open 3-pointers in Game 1 against Nuggets

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated27 Sep 2023

Miami Heat shot 31% on wide open 3-pointers in Game 1 against Denver Nuggets in 2023 NBA Finals

The Miami Heat shot 31% (5-of-16) on wide open 3-pointers in Thursday night’s 104-93 loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals. The closest defender was six or more feet away.

In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, the Heat drained 58% of their wide open 3s, the highest percentage by an NBA team on wide open 3s in any series the last 10 years.

According to multiple NBA betting sites, the Nuggets are the favorites to win the 2023 NBA Finals. Check out which sportsbooks are giving Jimmy Butler second-shortest odds to win Finals MVP.


Miami only had about nine wide open 3s per game versus Boston. Meanwhile, the Celtics hit 38% of their wide open 3s in the ECF, which is the league average since 2013 based on 13 wide open 3-pointers per game.

In Game 5, Haywood Highsmith knocked down three 3-pointers on four attempts in 36 minutes off the bench. He averaged 60% shooting from downtown in this past ECF series against Boston.

Miami Heat shot 31% on wide open 3-pointers in Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets of the 2023 NBA Finals, shot 58% against Boston Celtics in Eastern Conference Finals

Gabe Vincent averaged 5.3 field goals and 11 field goal attempts per game versus the Celtics. The Heat guard shot 48.5% from the floor and a team-high 51.6% from 3-point range based on a minimum of five field goal attempts.

In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Bam Adebayo led the Heat in scoring with 26 points. The two-time All-Star also tallied 13 rebounds and five assists in 40 minutes of action. Vincent added 19 points, two boards, and five assists as well. He shot 5-of-10 (50%) outside the arc.


Entering Game 1, the Heat were 3-0 in series openers this postseason, all on the road. However, Denver remains undefeated at home. Per ESPN, Game 1 winners in the finals go on to win the title almost 70% of the time.

Furthermore, Miami drooped to 1-6 all time in Game 1s of the NBA Finals. The Heat lost the series opener in each of their championship years — 2006, 2012 and 2013. Their only win came in 2011, a series which they lost in six games to Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks.

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