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Tag: ready for print

  • Nuggets dominate clutch minutes again to spoil Lakers’ celebration of LeBron James scoring milestone

    Nuggets dominate clutch minutes again to spoil Lakers’ celebration of LeBron James scoring milestone

    LOS ANGELES — The clutch-time Nuggets spoiled another landmark night for the Lakers.

    On the night LeBron James became the first player to ever score 40,000 career points, Denver came back from an 11-point deficit for a 124-114 win, the team’s sixth consecutive since the All-Star break, on Saturday night.

    Nikola Jokic went for 35 points and 10 rebounds. Michael Porter Jr. added an immaculate 25 without missing a single shot. He was 10 for 10 in the game, including 5 for 5 from beyond the arc.

    The Nuggets (42-19) have won eight consecutive games over the Lakers.

    They entered the fourth quarter of this one tied at 89 and needing a key stretch from the second unit. It mostly delivered, until the very end of Jokic’s rest minutes. Peyton Watson supplied four points and an emphatic block as the Nuggets took a five-point lead, but James nullified the block by absorbing contact with Zeke Nnaji for an and-one. He missed the free throw that would’ve tied the game, but a Denver turnover seconds later led to a go-ahead James three. Timeout Michael Malone, down two.

    Enter Jokic. Cue clutch finish for Nuggets starters.

    They trailed 108-105 as clutch time officially began in the last five minutes. Justin Holiday sank a 3-pointer while playing for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, out for personal reasons. Aaron Gordon finally cashed in on an open corner three for the lead. Then Jokic and Jamal Murray took over again. The game ended on a 19-6 run.

    Public and media anticipation surrounding the final meeting of the regular season between these teams wasn’t particularly concerned with the matchup or its implications. Denver was going into a building sold out by box score watchers experiencing LeBron Fever. He entered the game an inevitable nine points away from the never-achieved milestone, and for the first quarter and change, that was the primary focus every time he had the ball. Malone was effusive in his praise of James while fielding a handful of questions about him pregame, but in terms of the moment itself, the ninth-year Nuggets coach was definitive.

    Bennett Durando

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  • Women’s basketball: No. 13 CU Buffs hold off Washington to snap losing skid

    Women’s basketball: No. 13 CU Buffs hold off Washington to snap losing skid

    Fast break

    Why the Buffs won: They kept their composure late, played solid defense throughout the night and hit some big shots when needed.

    Three stars:

    1. CU’s Maddie Nolan: Had a season-high 20 points, including six 3-pointers.

    2. CU’s Aaronette Vonleh: Finished with only 10 points offensively, but had seven rebounds and a steal.

    3. Washington’s Lauren Schwartz: Scored 18 points and hit all four 3-point attempts.

    Up next: CU will host Washington State on Saturday at 1 p.m. (Pac-12 Network).

    Colorado didn’t dominate in its return home, but the No. 13 Buffaloes found something it had been sorely missing: a victory.

    Maddie Nolan got hot from 3-point range early and the Buffs had just enough in the tank late to hold off Washington 68-62 on Thursday night at the CU Events Center.

    CU (21-7, 11-6 Pac-12) snapped a four-game losing streak and kept slim hopes alive for a top-four seed – and first-round bye – for next week’s Pac-12 Tournament.

    “I was just really excited to win again,” said Nolan, who went 6-of-7 from beyond the arc and had a season-high 20 points. “After the game, I was jumping around and I was like, ‘Guys, we won!’ The season is so long and you get so caught up in different things and then the losses, it can be hard, but just remembering to celebrate every win, whether it’s against a top-five team or whoever. So just excited to be back in the win column, for sure.”

    Brian Howell

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  • Rockies spring training recap: Prospect Yanquiel Fernandez shows off power, Jaden Hill throws 99.2 mph fastball

    Rockies spring training recap: Prospect Yanquiel Fernandez shows off power, Jaden Hill throws 99.2 mph fastball

    Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 2
    Saturday at Salt River Fields

    On the mound: Right-hander Noah Davis, competing for a spot in the back of the rotation, pitched two scoreless innings, allowing three hits, walking one and striking out three. Davis threw 40 pitches (with 23 strikes) while mixing in all five of his pitches. He said that his game plan going into his first Cactus League start was to work on all of his pitches — sinker, curve, cutter, slider and curveball. Manager Bud Black said he wants to see more pitch efficiency from Davis.  … Lefty prospect Joe Rock had a rough two innings, yielding five runs (four earned) on four hits, with one walk, one strikeout and a wild pitch that allowed a run to score. He’s pegged as a starter in the minors to begin the season.

    At the plate: Outfield prospect Yanquiel Fernandez, who boasts intriguing power, hit a 419-foot solo homer to right in the sixth inning off of lefty Andrew Saalfrank. Fernandez nearly hit another homer in the ninth but just got under the ball and lifted it to the right-field warning track.

    Injury update: Starting third baseman Ryan McMahon made a nice play by diving and throwing out a runner at second base in the third inning, but stayed on the ground for a couple of minutes after tweaking his lower back. He stayed in the game, however, and got another at-bat. “It was just a small spasm and I waited for it to calm down,” McMahon said. “It’s fine now.”

    Prospect watch: Right-hander Jaden Hill, who’s been converted from a starter to a reliever, threw a perfect seventh inning, striking out two. Hill’s hottest fastball was clocked at 99.2 mph.

    Rockies 5, A’s 1
    Saturday at Hohokam Stadium

    Peter Lambert (20) of the Colorado Rockies works against the the Oakland A’s during Colorado’s 5-1 Spring Training win at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

    On the mound: Right-hander Peter Lambert, the favorite to win the fifth spot in the rotation, pitched two scoreless innings, allowing no hits while walking two. … All told, seven Colorado pitchers combined to limit Oakland to three hits and two walks while striking out six.

    At the plate: Michael Toglia, trying to stake his claim in the crowded position battle at first base/right field, hit a solo homer off Osvaldo Bido in the fourth. … Outfield prospect Jimmy Herron had two hits and drove in two runs.

    Jimmy Herron dives towards second against the the Oakland A's during Colorado's 5-1 Spring Training win at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
    Jimmy Herron dives towards second against the the Oakland A’s during Colorado’s 5-1 Spring Training win at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

    Prospect watch: Infielder Aaron Schunk, who’s pegged to begin the season at Triple-A Albuquerque, hit 1-for-1 and scored a run.

    Up next: Rockies at Brewers, 1:10 p.m. Sunday

    Rockies probable pitchers: RHP Karl Kauffman, RHP Anthony Molina, RHP Justin Lawrence, RHP Chance Adams, RHP Riley Pint, RHP Matt Koch.

    Patrick Saunders

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  • Bill Walton is becoming Nikola Jokic’s biggest fan, and he’s tired of reductive superlatives: “One of the greatest basketball players ever”

    Bill Walton is becoming Nikola Jokic’s biggest fan, and he’s tired of reductive superlatives: “One of the greatest basketball players ever”

    PORTLAND, Ore. — Nikola Jokic was in a rush to leave the building last Sunday after his sixth All-Star Game. His abbreviated version of a break was finally about to begin. But he made time for one of his biggest fans.

    In the hallways beneath Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Jokic stopped to dap up Hall of Famer Bill Walton. The day before, during a public practice, Walton had sought out Jokic on the sideline to chat. Their interactions at All-Star weekend are becoming something of an annual tradition by now.

    “Big man to big man,” Jokic said.

    What does the 71-year-old Walton tell the Nuggets big man?

    The same stuff he eagerly tells everyone else who’ll listen.

    “His celebration of life through basketball, his focus on the team … he’s better than perfect. He’s Nikola Jokic,” Walton told The Denver Post. “He’s the best player in the world. I watch a lot of Denver Nuggets basketball, and every time I watch, I just get a smile on my face. It’s fantastic.”

    Walton, a winner of two championships and an MVP during his celebrated but injury-shortened career, has long remained a fixture of the college and professional basketball communities. He is famous for his out-there analogies and asides while providing enthusiastic color commentary of Pac-12 games for ESPN, but he is especially moved by Jokic — so much that he’s practically a spokesman for the Serbian center. In the last year, he has raved about Jokic everywhere from The Pat McAfee Show to The New Yorker.

    The admiration runs so deep that Walton needs to share it with Jokic directly, whenever possible. Whenever they’re face-to-face.

    “Joy and happiness. And hope. And optimism. And purpose,” Walton said. “He plays with purpose. He plays to win the games. And he does it with beautiful style, grace, dignity, professionalism. Nikola Jokic represents the conquest of substance over hype.”

    “He just told me (his) appreciation. Nice things about me,” Jokic told The Post. “I really appreciate it. Just a nice thing when a legend can talk to you. I think it’s amazing.”

    As minor as their interactions might be, they’re also a window into a side of Jokic that is seldom highlighted: his respect for NBA history, particularly the Hall of Famers who dominated at the center position in the generations before him. Over the years, he has developed a mutually appreciative on-air relationship with Shaquille O’Neal, who attempts to say something in Serbian every time Jokic joins TNT’s Inside the NBA for a postgame interview.

    Jokic has also grown increasingly introspective about his All-Star appearances. He said after making the team this season, “I will say to the guys in the locker room when I go there, it’s always a pleasure to be around them, in that group of people. It’s an honor and a legacy that me or the guys over there are going to appreciate when we’ve finished (our) career.”

    Speaking of legacy: There’s a point Walton wants to make about Jokic’s.

    Presented with the common notion that Jokic is one of the greatest passing big men of all time, Walton scoffed.

    “He’s one of the great basketball players ever,” he said. “It’s a disservice to (Jokic) to limit him. He’s an incredible scorer. He’s a fantastic rebounder. He’s an incredible passer. He’s an incredible teammate. He has it all. Don’t try to limit him. Don’t try to box him in. Because with Nikola Jokic, there are no limits.”

    Jokic emerged from his break (or lack thereof) by earning triple-doubles by the end of the third quarter in back-to-back games. He has shot 81.5% from the field in consecutive wins (including one over Walton’s Trail Blazers), averaging 25 points, 17 rebounds and 14.5 assists. He’s up to 122 career triple-doubles entering Sunday’s clash with Golden State.

    Bennett Durando

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  • Justin Lawrence has right stuff to be Rockies’ closer — if he can harness it

    Justin Lawrence has right stuff to be Rockies’ closer — if he can harness it

    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — June 13, 2023, Fenway Park, Boston. Rockies 4, Red Sox 4. Seventh inning. Justin Lawrence trots out from the bullpen and hikes the mound.

    “I came into a jam in a tight ballgame and I caught myself singing the ‘Sweet Caroline’ song,” the Rockies’ right-hander recalled Wednesday. “I was looking around and I thought, ‘This is kind of cool.’

    “Then I thought, ‘Wait a minute, it’s a tie ballgame in the seventh inning, I’m coming in to get us out of a jam, and it’s my first time ever at Fenway.’ It didn’t matter, it was a fun moment.”

    Lawrence pitched 1 2/3 innings that night, and although he issued two walks, he allowed no runs, stranded two inherited runners, and kept Colorado in a game it eventually won, 7-6, in 10 innings.

    It wasn’t the singular moment of Lawrence’s career but it illustrates how far he’s come since being a raw prospect with a unique, sidewinder delivery, 102 mph fastball and frequent bouts of inconsistency.

    Justin Lawrence (61) of the Colorado Rockies warms up during Spring Training at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Arizona on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

    “There are two main things about Justin,” manager Bud Black said. “On the fundamental side, he’s tightened up his stuff. Secondly, I’ve seen changes in his poise and maturity. In essence, he’s grown up to where his perspective and his mindset are of major league quality.”

    Lawrence, 29, is competing with friend and fellow right-hander Tyler Kinley for the closer job. Righty Daniel Bard, who will miss spring training after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, could be in the mix, too, when he returns.

    Black and his staff are going to take a hard look at both Lawrence and Kinley for the ninth-inning role.

    “We think (Kinley) is mentally built to handle the ninth inning,” Black said. “Stuff-wise, he’s got weapons. He can pitch with velocity with the fastball, has a swing-and-miss slider and he’s working on the changeup. The bread and butter is his slider. But like Justin, he’s not a secret anymore in the National League and in our division.”

    Lawrence’s road to the majors has been full of potholes but he’s always had tantalizing talent. Black became intrigued with Lawrence’s raw stuff in 2018 when the right-hander posted a 2.65 ERA in 55 appearances with High-A Lancaster. Lawrence wowed the Rockies in the Arizona Fall League and impressed again during spring training 2019. But then his control evaporated and his ERA soared at Triple-A Albuquerque and Double-A Hartford.

    Then came the lowest moment of Lawrence’s career. He was suspended before the 2020 season for taking DHCMT, a substance banned by Major League Baseball. Lawrence said he didn’t know that the NSF-certified supplement he was taking contained DHCMT.

    “I wouldn’t wish what I had to go through on my worst enemy,” Lawrence said later.

    With those struggles behind him, he now has an opportunity to lock down his dream job.

    “I like the idea of going in to get the saves and the holds,” he said. “I don’t feel out of my element at all, and I don’t feel like the game speeds up on me or anything like that. I mean, this is what a competitor wants. As a kid, you want to be the starter, or the four-hole hitter, or the closer. It would be awesome to be the closer, but I came to camp ready to prepare for whatever role the team needs me for.”

    Justin Lawrence (61) jokes with Lucas Gilbreath (58) of the Colorado Rockies during Spring Training at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Arizona on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
    Justin Lawrence (61) jokes with Lucas Gilbreath (58) of the Colorado Rockies during Spring Training at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Arizona on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

    Lawrence’s 2023 season was a mixed bag. He posted a 1.47 ERA in 15 appearances and moved into the closer role in June when Pierce Johnson (later traded to Atlanta) started walking batters in droves. In his first 17 games as the closer, Lawrence converted seven of eight save opportunities while posting a 1.86 ERA. But he slumped in the second half of the season and lost the closer job to Kinley in early September.

    Lawrence’s first- and second-half splits illustrate his inconsistency. In 38 appearances before the All-Star break, he had a 2.76 ERA and opponents slashed just .188/.284/.269 against him. In the second half, his ERA soared to 5.22 in 31 outings and opponents slashed .299/.400/.470.

    “I liked everything about last season — the good, the bad and the ugly,” he said. “I liked the bad and the ugly because I learned from those things. I also loved that I was healthy the whole year and that when Buddy asked, ‘Hey, are you good to go?’ I was available.”

    Lawrence is also aware that volitivity is part of a reliever’s life.

    Patrick Saunders

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  • Letters: Denver, get to the bottom of these long lines at DIA

    Letters: Denver, get to the bottom of these long lines at DIA

    Get to the bottom of these long lines at DIA

    On Feb. 17 at 9 a.m., we encountered significantly long security lines at Denver International Airport’s west side, leading to delays and frustrations for hundreds if not thousands of passengers. Lines snaked through common areas, adding to the inconvenience. Certainly not an upgraded experience.

    While millions of dollars were supposedly invested in security upgrades, the recent experience suggests further improvements are needed. Are there staffing limitations contributing to the issue?

    I urge the airport authorities and Denver City Council to investigate the root cause of these long lines. The city spent millions of dollars and obviously didn’t improve the security process. This makes our airport look like a third-rate facility. If the City of Denver can’t run the airport, hire professionals to do the job.

    Gregg S. Hayutin, Denver

    Welcome back, Troy Renck

    Re: “Troy Renck returns to The Denver Post as sports columnist,” Feb. 15 news story

    I am filled with gladness at the hiring of Troy Renck as a sports columnist and especially happy with the departure of Mark Kiszla, who was, in my opinion, a journalistic hack, a peddler of negativity, and a troll who unnecessarily attacked and demeaned the character and personality of Denver sports personalities. Most recently, his remarks about Broncos coach Sean Payton were odious, and he was unkind to quarterback Russell Wilson before he ever stepped on the field. This represents a move toward more balanced and positive reporting by The Post and I hope it continues.

    Digby Kirby, Denver

    Hey GOP: What would Reagan do?

    Re: “Aid to Ukraine hinges on House speaker,” Feb. 18 news story

    Republicans in the U.S. House have abandoned the freedom fighters in Ukraine. When Ronald Reagan built the strongest military force in the world and stoutly supported freedom, Ukraine and other states were able to throw off Russian domination. Vladimir Putin is determined to rebuild that “evil empire,” and today’s Republican appeasers are happy to open the door for him.

    Ukraine will not be the last country Putin enslaves. We can stop him now by supplying ammunition, or we can retreat and imperil our future.

    Ray Harlan, Denver

    Ronald Reagan would turn in his grave if he knew Donald Trump’s puppet, House Speaker Mike Johnson, is sitting on Ukraine aid. If Trump’s buddy, Putin, succeeds in ensnaring the Ukrainian people, who is next? We need to help Ukraine for their sake and for our own sake.

    DP Opinion

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  • The Book Club: “The Maniac” and more short reviews from readers

    The Book Club: “The Maniac” and more short reviews from readers

    Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. So we asked them, and other readers, to share these mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email bellis@denverpost.com.

    “Five Tuesdays in Winter: Stories,” by Lily King (Grove Press, 2021)

    “Five Tuesdays in Winter: Stories,” by Lily King (Grove Press, 2021)

    Lily King’s novel “Writers and Lovers” is a favorite of mine, so I was willing to read “Five Tuesdays in Winter,” although I tend to avoid short stories. These 10 stories are varied in setting, time, mood, voice, length, character and action, but they are unified in clarity and excellent writing. Each one gave me much to ponder, but I did not feel cheated by their brevity — in fact, I’m amazed how much depth King creates with so few words. My favorite? Hard to choose, but if pressed I would say the title story. — 3 1/2 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker 

    “Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon and the Things That Last,” by Wright Thompson (Penguin Books, 2020)

    I had to invoke my 50-page rule for this one; i.e., if it doesn’t grab me by page 50, then drop it and move on.  As I can appreciate a fine bourbon, this one initially intrigued me.  But apparently the author didn’t have enough actual information about this family-owned, Kentucky distillery to fill out a book-length narrative.  It meanders much like a road trip that is detoured, becomes lost and refuses to ask for directions. A fun idea, poorly executed. — 0 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver 

    “Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral,” by Kris Radish (Bantam, 2006)

    After the death of her friend Annie at age 56, a package arrives for Katherine Givens with the ashes of her free-spirited, altruistic childhood pal, along with instructions. She’s to head a procession from California to Manhattan with a collection of five women, strangers to one another but Annie’s closest friends. Their charge? To spread their friend’s ashes. A funeral becomes the destination and the power base for change and friendship for all. They discover her deepest secrets and share many of their own. These unorthodox mourners come to see the greatness Annie saw in them and attain the courage to act on it. — 2 stars (out of 4); Bonnie McCune, Denver (bonniemccune.com)

    “The Maniac,” by Benjamin Labatut (Penguin Press, 2023)

    "The Maniac," by Benjamin Labatut (Penguin Press, 2023)
    “The Maniac,” by Benjamin Labatut (Penguin Press, 2023)

    This novel shines a light on some of the moral questions presented by new technological advances.  Part 1 follows Paul Ehrenfest, a physicist who strove to understand “the core of things” but who was leery of the potential applications of quantum physics.  Part 2 focuses on John von Neumann, who is credited with inventing game theory and the first programmable computer, and whose work also laid the foundation for artificial intelligence.  Part 3 describes the leaps of AI beyond von Neumann’s work, exemplified by the work of Lee Sedol and his AI program, AlphaGo, which beat all master Go players. The eponymous “maniac” could be the 1950s Princeton-based Mathematical Analyzer, Numerical Integrator and Computer (MANIAC), or it could be the geniuses profiled in this work of historical fiction. You can decide. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver

    The Know

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  • 2024 Colorado state basketball tournament brackets, results

    2024 Colorado state basketball tournament brackets, results

    The brackets for the Colorado high school state basketball championships:

    BOYS

    Class 6A

    First round

    Wednesday, Feb. 21

    Higher seed hosts

    Game 1: No. 1 Fruita Monument (23-0) vs. No. 32 Highlands Ranch (10-12), 6 p.m.

    Game 2: No. 16 Overland (14-9) vs. No. 17 Broomfield (17-6), TBA

    Game 3: No. 8 Eaglecrest (16-7) vs. No. 25 Castle View (12-11), 7 p.m.

    Game 4: No. 9 Ralston Valley (18-5) vs. No. 24 Arapahoe (11-12), TBA

    Game 5: No. 5 Rock Canyon (18-5) vs. No. 28 Rocky Mountain (13-10), TBA

    Game 6: No. 12 Douglas County (15-8) vs. No. 21 Arvada West (16-7), 7 p.m.

    Game 7: No. 4 ThunderRidge (18-5) vs. No. 29 Fort Collins (14-9), 7 p.m.

    Game 8: No. 13 Cherry Creek (13-10) vs. No. 20 Fossil Ridge (16-7), 6:30 p.m.

    Game 9: No. 2 Mountain Vista (19-4) vs. No. 31 Fairview (13-10), TBA

    Game 10: No. 15 Monarch (18-5) vs. No. 18 Denver South (16-7), TBA

    Game 11: No. 7 Smoky Hill (17-6) vs. No. 26 Horizon (13-10), 7 p.m.

    Game 12: No. 10 Regis Jesuit (15-8) vs. No. 23 Pine Creek (15-8), TBA

    Game 13: No. 6 Valor Christian (21-2) vs. No. 27 Mullen (12-11), TBA

    Game 14: No. 11 Doherty (18-5) vs. No. 21 George Washinton (13-10), 6 p.m.

    Game 15: No. 3 Chaparral (18-5) vs. No. 30 Rangeview (12-11), TBA

    Game 16: No. 14 Legacy (17-6) vs. No. 19 Legend (12-11), TBA

    Sweet 16

    Saturday, Feb. 24

    Higher seed hosts

    Game 17: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, TBA

    Game 18: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, TBA

    Game 19: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, TBA

    Game 20: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, TBA

    Game 21: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, TBA

    Game 22: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner, TBA

    Game 23: Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner, TBA

    Game 24: Game 15 winner vs. Game 16 winner, TBA

    Great 8

    Thursday, Feb. 29

    at Denver Coliseum

    Game 25: Game 17 winner vs. Game 18 winner, TBA

    Game 26: Game 19 winner vs. Game 20 winner, TBA

    Game 27: Game 21 winner vs. Game 22 winner, TBA

    Game 28: Game 23 winner vs. Game 24 winner, TBA

    Final Four

    Friday, March 8

    at Denver Coliseum

    Game 29: Game 25 winner vs. Game 26 winner, TBA

    Game 30: Game 27 winner vs. Game 28 winner, TBA

    Championship

    Saturday, March 9

    at Denver Coliseum

    Semifinal winners, 4 p.m.

    Class 5A

    First round

    Wednesday, Feb. 21

    Higher seed hosts

    Game 1: No. 1 Northfield (21-2) vs. No. 32 Thornton (13-10), 6 p.m.

    Game 2: No. 16 Longmont (15-8) vs. No. 17 Pueblo South (13-10), 6:30 p.m.

    Game 3: No. 8 Mead (17-6) vs. No. 25 Pueblo West (15-8), 6 p.m.

    Game 4: No. 9 Palmer (19-4) vs. No. 24 Eagle Valley (14-9), 6 p.m.

    Game 5: No. 5 Silver Creek (19-4) vs. No. 28 Frederick (13-10), 6:30 p.m.

    Game 6: No. 12 Dakota Ridge (16-7) vs. No. 21 Durango (11-11), 7 p.m.

    Game 7: No. 4 Mesa Ridge (21-2) vs. No. 29 Sand Creek (13-10), TBA

    Game 8: No. 13 Green Mountain (15-8) vs. No. 20 Falcon (17-6), 6:30 p.m.

    Game 9: No. 2 Vista PEAK Prep (19-4) vs. No. 31 Palisade (10-13), 6 p.m.

    Matt Schubert

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  • Nikola Jokic on NBA’s 65-game rule after Joel Embiid injury: “It forces players to play, even if they’re injured”

    Nikola Jokic on NBA’s 65-game rule after Joel Embiid injury: “It forces players to play, even if they’re injured”

    INDIANAPOLIS — No matter how many All-Stars the NBA filed into a packed room Saturday to talk over one another in simultaneous news conferences, a silence reverberated loudest. Loud enough to be heard in at least a few of the questions.

    The most significant absence in Indianapolis this weekend is the one that’s shaking up the 2023-24 MVP race.

    Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid was the presumptive favorite until early February when he underwent surgery to repair his lateral meniscus. The left knee injury has rendered him ineligible to repeat as league MVP under new NBA policy, which requires players to appear in a minimum of 65 games to be considered for end-of-year awards such as MVP and All-NBA.

    The procedure will sideline Embiid long enough that he almost definitively wouldn’t have won MVP even without the new rule. However, his situation has still sparked debate in league circles about whether or not the 65-game minimum should have been instituted in the first place. Why? Because there was wide speculation Embiid felt pressured to play through a pre-existing knee injury in order to maintain awards eligibility, especially after getting ridiculed for missing his fourth consecutive road game against the Nuggets — and MVP adversary Nikola Jokic — in late January.

    Two games later, Embiid was back in the lineup when Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga fell on his leg and caused the injury that required surgery.

    Jokic is perversely positioned to benefit from Embiid’s unfortunate situation. The Nuggets center is the new betting favorite to win his third MVP in the last four years. But he takes no joy in that. He was asked about the 65-game rule Saturday during his media session at All-Star weekend.

    “Definitely forcing players to play, even when they’re injured or whatever,” Jokic said. “But we saw what happened with Joel. … I don’t know. I just don’t like it, how it forces players to play even if they’re injured, if they want to achieve something.”

    Arguments against the rule largely depend on the arbitrary nature of the league’s chosen number. No data-driven evidence was provided to explain why 65 makes more sense as a games-played minimum than, say, 67 — one more than the number of games Embiid played last year when he won MVP. In 2022-23, Jokic finished second in voting with 69 games played. Giannis Antetokounmpo was third with 63.

    With the door wide open now, Jokic’s biggest challenger for the 2023-24 crown is his All-Star teammate, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

    The Thunder guard, who ranks second in the league in scoring (31.1 points) and first in steals (2.2), wasn’t as quick to condemn the rule as Jokic was.

    “I’m not too sure. I think no matter what, there’s like a fine line,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Like, when it comes down to it, there’s always a fine line in games played and availability. And I think the league has the right intention in trying to make that line a little bit bolder and easier to make a decision. Now, I try to be as available as I can every night, not only for that but just for the love of the game. But as far as how the rule goes, I don’t really have an opinion. I’m gonna try to be available for my team to win basketball games every night, and if I can’t be available, then I just can’t, and it is what it is.”

    Bennett Durando

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  • NBA trade deadline winners, losers: Did rest of league catch up with Denver Nuggets?

    NBA trade deadline winners, losers: Did rest of league catch up with Denver Nuggets?

    While the Nuggets didn’t change their 18-man roster at the 2024 NBA trade deadline, other contenders around the league made a variety of moves — mostly on the margins — in an effort to steal the throne from Denver.

    From the view at altitude, here are the winners and losers of the deadline:

    Winner: New York Knicks

    The leader of every other winners-and-losers think-piece is the leader of this one, too. New York landed Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks on deadline day at relatively low cost, but the Nuggets already got a close-up view of the new Knicks when O.G. Anunoby registered six steals against them at MSG. With Milwaukee reeling and Philadelphia hedging after Joel Embiid’s injury (Buddy Hield was a solid middle-ground acquisition), New York suddenly transformed into the most proactive win-now team in the East this deadline.

    Loser: Dallas Mavericks

    In arguably the highest-profile trade on actual deadline day, Dallas overpaid for P.J. Washington, whose 13.6 points per game felt somewhat like empty calories in Charlotte. The trade was simultaneously an admission of failure in the Grant Williams Experiment and a brand-new roll of the dice. More importantly, the Mavericks did what the Knicks avoided: They traded a precious first-round pick (2027). Future: mortgaged. Draft assets are close to extinct now for Dallas, a franchise throwing darts at the wall and hoping one will stick before it’s too late to salvage and extend the Luka Doncic era.

    Winner: Boston Celtics

    Is Xavier Tillman going to be a significant role player in Joe Mazzulla’s playoff rotation? Probably not. Will the Celtics feel a lot more comfortable having an affordable, playable backup big ready to aid the injury-prone Kristaps Porzingis and aging Al Horford? Absolutely. Especially if they’re dealing with six or seven games of Nikola Jokic. This was a depth move that felt tailored to fit a Nuggets NBA Finals matchup, but it cost Boston only two second-round picks to add a salary under $2 million.

    Loser: Oklahoma City Thunder

    The Thunder should have done what Boston did. Don’t get me wrong: Gordon Hayward seems like an outstanding veteran addition to a young team. A lot of teams would have pursued him if Charlotte had bought out his contract. But Oklahoma City’s biggest need still hasn’t been addressed. Back in October, I asked Michael Porter Jr. for his first impressions of Chet Holmgren after Denver won in OKC. “I think he’s very, very talented,” Porter said. “To me, he’s more of a four.” Holmgren, who has an even more injury-prone body type than Porzingis and already missed all of last season, is the Thunder’s starting five. Sophomore charge-taking specialist Jaylin Williams (6-foot-9) backs him up. The center position runs dry from there. For a team so small and with a rebounding weakness (No. 27 in the league), it seems neglectful not to dip into a horde of 10,000 picks and add a more traditional five to at least deploy in bench lineups. Without reinforcements, Holmgren is susceptible to getting worn down by Jokic in a long series.

    Winner: Monte Morris

    Congratulations to one former Nuggets backup point guard, who moved from the league’s most puzzling team (Detroit) to a Western Conference title contender. Smart trade for the Timberwolves, who needed more offense to support their top-rated defense. Minnesota’s two most common lineups involving point guard Mike Conley have net ratings of 9.6 and 7.6, respectively, in 635 combined minutes. The most common lineup without Conley on the floor is a minus-5.1 in 127 minutes (a lineup including Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns), and second-most common without Conley is a modest 4.9 in 100 minutes (using all four starters except him). Morris supplies 3-point shooting and an upgrade in turnover prevention for an offense that’s third-worst in the NBA at protecting the ball in clutch time.

    Loser: Bruce Brown

    Pour one out for a different former Nuggets backup point guard. Brown did the Reverse Morris three weeks ago, getting traded from a young playoff-caliber core in Indianapolis to a losing team. But the league-wide expectation was that Toronto would flip Brown. There was a market for his versatility and recent championship experience. So he waited and waited, until the deadline passed Thursday, leaving him temporarily stranded in Canada. Brown was just one bullet point on a list of head-scratching decisions by the Raptors, also including their forfeiture of a 2024 first-round pick among other assets for Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji.



    Bennett Durando

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