Ball Arena, home of the Denver Nuggets, is a daunting place for any NBA team to play. Beyond the fact that it houses the best player on the planet—three-time MVP Nikola Jokic—it also comes with the unique challenge of playing at elevation, which can make it harder to breathe and recover due to its lower air pressure and decreased oxygen.
The Miami Heat know all about these confines, which they'll visit Wednesday night, and just how unfriendly they can be. They haven't won a regular season game in this building since Nov. 2016. And they just might be feeling those elevation effects now more than ever, since a key principle of their new-look offense is keeping the pedal floored.