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Recap: Nuggets survive Hawks rally, win late.

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Recap: Nuggets survive Hawks rally, win late.


The Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks both came into tonight on three game losing streaks. Something had to give. The Nuggets were able to get up big early from a huge performance from rookie Julian Strawther. However, DeJounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic carried the load for Atlanta after Trae Young was ejected and got close to completing a big comeback. Ultimately the Nuggets are able to hold on though and get the victory 129-122.

Nikola Jokic hit the first shot of the game which was a good sign but the baskets weren’t coming as easy as you’d like otherwise early on. The game was fast paced though so there was still plenty of scoring. At about the eight minute mark Jamal Murray went down with what looked like an ankle sprain. He got up and tried to walk it off but Reggie Jackson ended up checking in. Clint Capela kept getting buckets down low off offensive rebounds and the Hawks got a lead. Atlanta hit their threes and was disruptive in the passing lanes on defense. Jokic kept Denver within striking distance but nobody else was scoring. Atlanta continued to knock down three after three. If it weren’t for Strawther coming in and hitting shots the Nuggets would be trailing big but after one quarter they were only down 36-28.

Atlanta continued to score at will to open the second quarter while Denver’s bench group struggled to find rhythm on offense. Strawther carried them though on both ends of the court in his best minutes since early in the year. He did so well in fact it made the bench overall a positive in their minutes with the lead down to five when the starters checked back in. He stayed in with the starting unit and kept knocking down threes which was needed because Atlanta wasn’t missing from deep. He tallied nineteen points and four steals in the first half alone in a fantastic performance. When he checked out Denver trailed by just three. The starters kept the heat on to close out the half. Murray and Jokic did most of the damage and got the Nuggets ahead 65-62.

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Denver’s starters stayed hot to open the third quarter and grew the lead up to eight. Atlanta still had enough juice on offense to keep the Nuggets from running away with it but the momentum was on Denver’s side. Murray led a run as the quarter progressed which pushed the Nuggets lead to double digits. Strawther came back in and immediately knocked down a three. Atlanta meanwhile had completely stalled on offense while Denver’s lead grew to nearly twenty. Near the end of the quarter Atlanta finally started to find their range, particularly Bogdanovic, and that trimmed the lead a little bit. However, Atlanta got a string of technical fouls that included Young getting tossed out of the game and Denver pushed the lead right back up near twenty. All in all it was a fantastic quarter for the Nuggets. They ended the third leading 103-86.

Peyton Watson got a classic Swatson block early in the fourth while Jackson knocked down shots. Unfortunately the bench group couldn’t keep from fouling and Atlanta was already in the penalty with more than nine minutes left in the quarter. The Nuggets started to look a bit tired. There was less cutting and their shots started catching a lot of front iron. Murray got a couple baskets but DeJounte Murray would answer and the Nuggets kept giving the Hawks second chances. The Murray duel continued heading down the stretch with the Nuggets still up double digits despite faltering a bit. Atlanta got it down to ten with two minutes to go but were quickly running out of time. Bogdanovic refused to let the game go. He knocked down a pair of threes to offset Nuggets free throws and had the Hawks within six with a minute to go. Murray turned it over multiple times, Bogi hit another three and suddenly the Hawks were within four with thirty seconds to go. They just didn’t have enough clock to get it done though, the Nuggets ultimately salted it away at the free throw line and win 129-122

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Best matchup: Jamal Murray vs DeJounte Murray

Dec 11, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) drives to the basket against the Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

It was a duel of Murrays tonight. Both guards had strong performances for their teams and in particular in the fourth quarter where they provided the majority of the offense. Jamal tweaked his ankle (opposite of the one he tweaked earlier this year) in the first quarter but didn’t seem to be bothered by it as he ended up tallying twenty-nine points. DeJounte meanwhile didn’t really catch fire until Young was ejected but once that happened he knew he had to take over. It was his play that started the run that almost brought Atlanta all the way back.

Julian Strawther and Bogdan Bogdanovic had huge runs

Strawther’s first half was something that the rook will likely remember for a long time. He was absolutely dominating on both ends of the court. We all know Julian can shoot, but he showed how disruptive on defense he can be with his four steals in the first half. When he’s defending like that and being automatic from three it’s a major plus for Denver. Speaking of being automatic from three, Bogdan flat out was unstoppable from deep tonight. He ended up with a career high  forty points and knocked down ten threes. He was the only thing to save the Hawks from getting completely blown out even though he couldn’t quite carry them all the way back.

The Thing to Bet misses

KCP unfortunately didn’t have his shot going and ends up with just eight points. He sort of got lost in the shuffle when Strawther went on his big run in the first half and then took a back seat to Jamal on offense in the second half. Hopefully if you put money down on KCP points and threes tonight you used some bonus bets on ESPN Bet. Reminder, you can get up to $250 of bonus bets using our promo code LEHIGH.

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Atlanta Habitat ReStore honors Jimmy Carter with memorial door for public tributes

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Atlanta Habitat ReStore honors Jimmy Carter with memorial door for public tributes


Megan McCabe, director of the Atlanta Habitat for Humanity ReStore, points out a tribute to the late President Jimmy Carter on a memorial door on Jan. 6, 2025.

The Atlanta Habitat for Humanity ReStore is honoring former President Jimmy Carter with a memorial door, giving the public a unique way to leave tributes, share memories, and celebrate his legacy. The door, a symbolic representation of a home’s threshold, will be available for signing at the Atlanta ReStore located at 271 Chester Ave. from Tuesday through Jan. 9. It will then be moved to the South Fulton ReStore, located at 5626 Old National Highway in College Park, from Jan. 10 through Jan. 16. Afterward, the door will return to Atlanta Habitat’s headquarters, where it will be permanently displayed.

“We’re very excited to be one of many Habitat affiliates across the nation celebrating Jimmy Carter,” said Megan McCabe, director of the Atlanta Habitat for Humanity ReStore. “We figured this was a fun and easy way for folks to leave tributes and celebrate his legacy.”

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Carter, who passed away on Dec 29, was deeply involved with Habitat for Humanity. Although not its founder, he and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter became celebrated volunteers for the organization, beginning in the 1980s. Their efforts included the 1988 Carter Work Project in Atlanta, where 21 homes were built in a single week, leaving a lasting legacy in the city.

“Most people think that Jimmy Carter founded us, but he’s actually been a very celebrated volunteer since the ’80s,” McCabe said. “The Carter Work Project around the Olympics was a huge success and remains a significant part of Atlanta’s history.”

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The memorial door aims to capture the public’s admiration for Carter’s life and work. McCabe emphasized the symbolic importance of a door in Habitat for Humanity’s mission, calling it “the threshold for somebody’s home” and a fitting tribute to Carter’s dedication to affordable housing.

Visitors are encouraged to stop by during store hours, Tuesday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., between [specific start date] and [specific end date], to leave messages on the door. According to McCabe, many families have already left heartfelt tributes. “We hope it will be full of color and comments by the time it’s ready for its permanent home,” she said.

 

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The Source: This article is based on information given to FOX 5 Atlanta during an interview with Megan McCabe, director of the Atlanta Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

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Which Atlanta Hawk is Most Likely to be Dealt At The Trade Deadline?

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Which Atlanta Hawk is Most Likely to be Dealt At The Trade Deadline?


Exactly one month from today will be the NBA Trade Deadline and there is still some uncertainity as to what will go down at the deadline. Star players like Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram have been talked about as players who could be dealt, but it could end up just being smaller moves and rotation players that get moved. The Atlanta Hawks could actually be a team to watch. Last season, the Hawks were one of the most talked about teams leading up to the deadline, but there was a different feeling around that team. Whether or not Atlanta is a buyer or a seller at the deadline, this team has young building blocks to lean on going forward, but they have some roster questions that could get answered at the deadline.

The names that have been brought up in trade rumors over the past month or so have been centers Larry Nance and Clint Capela, as well as Bogdan Bogdanovic. Both players are on expiring deals and might not be a part of the teams future and Atlanta could look to flip one of them for assets.

In a recent article, ESPN Insiders named Larry Nance as the player to watch on Atlanta ahead of the deadline:

“The Hawks are in a position where they can stay conservative at the deadline and still find themselves avoiding the play-in. If they do look to tweak their roster, Nance’s $11.2 million expiring contract has the most value. Before breaking his right hand on Dec. 28, Nance was playing his best basketball, averaging 11.2 points, 7.6 rebounds in the previous five games.

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One trade that would improve the Hawks’ backcourt depth is flipping Nance for Spurs guard Tre Jones. The Hawks rank 24th in turnovers and have allowed the fourth-most points off turnovers per game.”

It would surprise nobody if the Hawks moved either Capela or Nance at the deadline and the two areas I would look for the Hawks to try and upgrade at the deadline are backup point guard and backup power forward. While the Hawks still need to figure out their solution at the center in the long term, they are unlikely to find that guy by the deadline. The Hawks have glaring issues at backup point guard and backup power forward and either Nance or Capela could help them find that guy.

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Despite missing playoffs, Falcons may have found their QB in Michael Penix Jr.

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Despite missing playoffs, Falcons may have found their QB in Michael Penix Jr.


ATLANTA — Michael Penix Jr’ s confidence couldn’t be shaken, even after the Atlanta Falcons season-ending loss to the Carolina Panthers.

When the rookie quarterback was asked what his message would be to long-suffering Falcons fans, Penix replied: “Continue to believe.”

“I feel like we got a lot of talent on this team, a lot of talent coming back, and we’re just going to continue to build off of this year,” Penix said. “So, I look forward to a lot of playoffs and even Super Bowls in the future here for this organization.”

The Falcons fell 44-38 to the Panthers on Sunday in overtime. The result of the game ended up being meaningless, since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinched the NFC South title with a victory over the New Orleans Saints.

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However, the Falcons finished 8-9, meaning they have not had a winning season since 2017. They have not made the playoffs since that season, either. The franchise has never won a Super Bowl.

Penix, 24, gives the fanbase a reason for hope, and not just because of his words. On Sunday, Penix went 21-of-38 for 312 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown and an interception that was not his fault. Last week, he had a game-tying touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Pitts on a fourth-and-13 with 1:17 to play in an eventual loss against the Washington Commanders.

“Michael Penix is certainly outstanding,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “He’s certainly one of the guys that’s going to play in this league and absolutely dominate for as long as we allow him.”

When the Falcons chose Penix with the No. 8 overall pick in the NFL draft last April, it was controversial. Atlanta had just signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year contract with $90 million guaranteed a few weeks earlier. As it turned out, the selection worked for the Falcons, even if the Cousins signing did not.

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Cousins played well, leading the Falcons to a 6-3 start, before faltering and throwing eight interceptions without a touchdown pass during a four-game losing streak. Penix was named the team’s starter in Week 16 and, for the most part, played well.

The team’s defense was largely to blame for the Panthers and Commanders losses, though it took time for Penix to build chemistry with the starting receivers. Some of that seemed to jell Sunday. Falcons wide receiver Drake London had 10 receptions for a career-high 187 yards and two touchdowns.

“Absolute poise,” London said of Penix. “He’s got a frickin’ rocket and he just slings the ball and he’s got that dog in him. He’s somebody who’s a winner and I think you see that just right off the gate.”

Atlanta also returns running back Bijan Robinson, who emerged as one of the best in the league this season. He had a career-high 170 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries against Carolina.

Penix said this offseason will contain “a lot of work,” though he’s been told by veterans that he should take time for himself, too.

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“Obviously, this season, like we just talked about, it didn’t go how we wanted it to go, it didn’t get to the playoffs,” Penix said. “But man, you’ve just got to continue to believe in the process, believe in the coaches, the scheme that gets put up each and every week and going into this offseason with the right mindset, the mindset to want to come back and get better. And for me, this is my first offseason. So, [there] is a lot of things that I’ll be learning this offseason, just making sure that whenever we do come back, I’m completely ready and I’ll make sure I do a great job of that.”



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