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Defending champion Nuggets finish second in West, beating Grizzlies 126-111

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Defending champion Nuggets finish second in West, beating Grizzlies 126-111


MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jamal Murray scored 21 points, Nikola Jokic had 15 points and 15 rebounds, and the defending champion Denver Nuggets secured the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a 126-111 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.

The Nuggets (57-25) matched a franchise high for wins and finished with the same record as Oklahoma City, but the Thunder took the top spot in the West because of a head-to-head tiebreaker. Minnesota’s loss to Phoenix dropped the Timberwolves into third, one game behind Denver.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said the key to matching the franchise record was “not being satisfied with last year.”

“To tie the franchise record for wins in a season is outstanding, especially on the heels of winning a championship,” Malone said. “That’s been the mantra all year long. Not being satisfied.”

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Denver entered the game in a three-way tie with Minnesota and Oklahoma City. It was the first time such a logjam had existed on the final day of the season with three teams having a chance at the No. 1 seed. The Thunder locked up the top spot by routing Dallas.

The Nuggets will play either the New Orleans Pelicans or the Los Angeles Lakers in a first-round playoff series. The Pelicans host the Lakers in a play-in game on Tuesday night.

“I’m just happy to be done with the regular season,” Malone said. “We have the 2 seed, and we’ll tune in Tuesday night and watch the New Orleans-LA game.”

Christian Braun scored 19 points for the Nuggets and Aaron Gordon added 15.

“We just have an identity now,” said Denver forward Michael Porter Jr., who finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. “It’s been a long time since we’ve stared playing together — our core guys. We’ve developed a chemistry.”

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GG Jackson led Memphis with a career-high 44 points. Jake LaRavia finished with 29 points for the Grizzlies, who finished 27-55, 13th in the West. Memphis ended the season on a five-game skid.

Jackson, the 45th pick in last year’s draft, began the season as a two-way player. He signed a multi-year contract in February and eclipsed the 40-point mark in his final game of the season.

“It’s the most adversity I’ve ever had to deal with mentally,” Jackson said of the season. “My entire career with basketball, everything was given and super smooth. … I just had to sharpen up and polish.”

Denver couldn’t build a significant lead in the first half, until a 9-0 run in the latter stages led to a 66-54 halftime advantage. Denver shot 51% in the half, with Murray scoring 19 points.

An 11-2 burst for Denver to open the second half increased the lead to 21, and the Nuggets eased home, with their starters sitting out the fourth quarter.

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While key Denver players like Jokic and Murray were listed as questionable before the game, the team’s regular starters all played.

Memphis’ season was derailed by injuries that kept many key players out for extended periods. The Grizzlies dressed only eight players against Denver, the bulk of them on two-way and 10-day contracts. Just last season, Memphis was the No. 2 seed in the West.

“Every season presents something different,” coach Taylor Jenkins said. “Obviously, this presented something no one was expecting.”

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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Denver, CO

Louisiana child rape suspect arrested in Denver

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Louisiana child rape suspect arrested in Denver


DENVER (KKTV) – A man out of Louisiana suspected of child rape is now in custody in Colorado.

The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force said they arrested 43-year-old James Connolly Tuesday morning in Denver.

The U.S. Marshals Service said Connolly was wanted by West Baton Rouge Parish deputies for first-degree rape of a child under 13 years old.

According to the U.S. Marshals, a full-scale investigation into the allegation was launched, and probable cause was found to file charges.

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After an arrest warrant was issued on August 12, they said Connolly was likely aware of the warrant and had fled the state.

On Monday, officials reportedly received information that he could be in Denver. The next day, the U.S. Marshals Service said the Colorado Violent Offender Task Force found Connolly working maintenance for a company near I-270 and York Street in Denver under the name “Alli” with a changed physical appearance.

Officials said Connolly was then positively identified and taken into custody.

“The success of this arrest represents a culmination of extensive cooperative investigative efforts between the U.S. Marshals in Baton Rouge, U.S. Marshals Colorado Violent Offender Task Force – Denver, West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Englewood Police Department, and Colorado Department of Corrections,” the U.S. Marshals Service said in a release.

He’s currently in the Adams County Jail pending extradition back to Louisiana.

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Denver, CO

Pat Surtain II Delivers Brutally Honest Take on Broncos’ Final Opponents

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Pat Surtain II Delivers Brutally Honest Take on Broncos’ Final Opponents


If the 11-2 Denver Broncos are going to obtain Super Bowl glory, they can’t be satisfied with their 10-game winning streak. Next up, the 9-3 Green Bay Packers come to Denver for a fixture that will kick off a run of four tricky games to finish out a season that now promises so much more. 

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When it comes to the Broncos facing adversity, Patrick Surtain II believes the Broncos have their opponents set up right where they want them. 

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“That’s what the NFL is all about. Each and every week, a new opponent comes,” Surtain said via 9NEWS‘ Scotty Gange. “Obviously, we’ve got some great opponents coming up for the rest of the year. So if we want to be that team we talk about, these are the games that matter and count.” 

Green Bay’s Micah Parsons and Jordan Love will present a much more pressing challenge than the hemorrhaging Las Vegas Raiders did this past Sunday. Regardless of the challenges ahead, within the Broncos’ competitive DNA lies a unique blend of wanting to prove even more while also enjoying the fruits of their labor along the way. 

Locker room celebrations have centered around the feel-good vibes of the aptly named “Club Dub,” so keeping the ball rolling certainly has its fringe benefits. Ultimately, Surtain revels more in how this team has stuck together through all the challenges, which makes living in this particular moment a whole lot sweeter. 

“Yeah, it feels good finally watching the tide change,” Surtain told Gange. “You know, we stuck with it. There’s a bunch of guys that stuck through the process for a couple of years now. And to finally fulfill this moment, this opportunity—11 wins on the season is not easy to do in this league. So, that was something to be very pleased and happy about.” 

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Nov 30, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) tackles Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (86) in the first quarter of the game at Northwest Stadium. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

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Double-digit winning streaks don’t happen by accident. The finer details matter, especially as the gruelling 17-game campaign rolls on. 

The Broncos’ offense mounted its three longest drives of the season in Sin City, statement moves down the field that dramatically tipped the scales in terms of time of possession. Surtain appreciated the in-game breather it gave him and his unit.

“The offense did a heck of a job with their time of possession,” Surtain said via Gange. “Yes, it was saving our legs a little bit. I don’t even know how many plays we had—pretty sure it was pretty low. But shout out to the offense for that. And defensively, we picked it up.” 

While the Kansas City Chiefs have been vanquished from the AFC West picture, the Los Angeles Chargers caught a major break on Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles, keeping them still in the divisional hunt. 

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Moving forward, the smaller issues and stumbles on the defensive side might require Bo Nix and the offense to continue playing the kind of ball that keeps the lights on in the Broncos’ pop-up Club Dub.

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Even so, Surtain and his teammates still have everything laid out in front of them

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Denver, CO

Denver OKs $30M contract with nonprofit despite questions about agency

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Denver OKs M contract with nonprofit despite questions about agency


A nonprofit that has raised red flags for other cities will begin operating one of Denver’s homeless shelters after the City Council approved a $30 million contract with the group Monday.

Urban Alchemy, a San Francisco-based nonprofit, has been accused of fiscal and data mismanagement, leading one city to drop the organization as a partner this year.

Nine of the 13 City Council members ultimately voted to approve the contract after over an hour of discussion on those concerns in which council members also expressed their exasperation with Mayor Mike Johnston’s office.

“The other option appears to be putting people back out on the street in the middle of winter,” said Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer in explaining her “yes” vote.

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Jeff Kositsky, the deputy director of shelter and stability in the city’s Department of Housing Stability, said during the meeting that if the council rejected the contract, there would be no way to find a new provider by the time the contract with the Aspen shelter’s current operator — The Salvation Army — expired.

“I think ultimately we would have to shut the shelter down,” he said.

Only three groups submitted bids to run the city’s homeless shelters when officials put out a request earlier this year, Kositsky said. The other two are Bayaud Works and St. Francis Center, both of which were already selected for other contracts.

Urban Alchemy will begin operating the 289-unit Aspen shelter in Central Park in 2026 and the contract will last through 2028.

Denver officials announced in August that The Salvation Army would no longer operate three facilities in former hotels after the City Council raised concerns that the group was unable to keep its occupants safe. There was a string of violent incidents at the shelters and in March, a Salvation Army employee was charged with sexually assaulting a woman staying at the Aspen shelter.

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The Salvation Army will continue to run the Crossroads Center, the Labuth Family Center, the Connection Center and the Harbour Light Center.

In San Francisco, the city controller’s office accused Urban Alchemy of not properly tracking the time its employees worked for the city causing an “increased risk to public funds and client services,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The controller’s office later ruled that the group was back in compliance with the city’s standards.

The nonprofit, which gives jobs to formerly incarcerated people, also ran into a conflict with Austin earlier this year. Austin officials wrote in a memo to their City Council that they wouldn’t renew their contract with the group after the nonprofit self-identified staff members who had misrepresented data about people using the shelters, according to the Austin-American Statesman.

Cole Chandler, who leads Johnston’s All In Mile High homeless initiative, said the contract with Urban Alchemy was an unusual, performance-based deal to ensure the work is completed.

“These are new accountability measures that have never existed before and those are specifically in place because council advocated for those,” he said.

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The meeting reflected another instance of council members’ frustration with Johnston’s administration. Councilwoman Shontel Lewis, who represents the district where the Aspen shelter is located, said she didn’t feel his team answered her concerns about the group.



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