Nuggets – Heat: Inside the numbers
By Jeff Adcox
November 15, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Miami Heat guard Norris Cole (30) drives to the basket during the first half against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Nuggets will attempt to end a five-game losing streak tonight against a Miami Heat team that may be without LeBron James, who is listed as day-to-day. Even without James in the lineup, this would be an important win for the Nuggets and their precarious playoff hopes.
After 25 years of playing Miami, the series is pretty even with the Heat holding a slight 27-25 edge. But this includes both home and away games. The Nuggets have enjoyed a 16-10 record in Denver, which include 10 wins in the last 11 games. In fact, the last time Miami had won a game in Denver prior to 2012 was on Jan. 29, 2002 (100-94 in overtime). This may sound a bit surprising, but the Heat just happen to be one of the many teams that we just don’t lose to at home. On the other hand, the Nuggets are 9-17 on the road against Miami, so it all evens out in the end.
In Miami’s first two years in the league the Nuggets didn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat though. Denver was 7-1 against the Heat in those early years for the franchise.
Series highlights for the Nuggets include a 31-point obliteration of the Heat on the road in 1989. The final score for that one was 135-104. Michael Adams led the Nuggets in that game with 21 points.
Individual highlights for the series include Alex English scoring 51 points in a double-overtime game against Miami in 1989. The Nuggets narrowly lost the game 131-130 despite English’s heroics. His 51 points are the tied for the third most in a game by a Nuggets player.
Carmelo Anthony also hung 40 on the Heat in a 100-92 road victory in 2005.
Along with the current five-game losing streak, the Nuggets were 0-2 against Miami last year as the Heat were one of only three teams to beat Denver at home last season. Let’s hope all these things come to an end tonight and the Nuggets get back in the win column and regain a little home court swagger.