What can be learned from Thursday's opening game of the NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat? Well-rested and playing at home while Miami had to travel from Boston after knocking off the Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday, the Nuggets cruised to a 104-93 win to take the series lead.
Given the difficulty of beating Denver at home -- the Nuggets are 9-0 at Ball Arena in this year's playoffs -- Miami can't count on getting the road win it will need to take this series in Game 5 or a potential Game 7.
Moreover, since Denver has been better than .500 on the road as well (4-3), the Heat also shouldn't count on winning both games when this series shifts to Miami next week. All of that makes Sunday's Game 2 a crucial game for the Heat to steal in order to have a realistic chance of pulling an upset.
With that urgency in mind, let's take a look at four key questions about the Finals heading into Game 2.