Denver, CO
How would the Denver Nuggets stack up against the Celtics?
As the NBA Finals creep toward a close, the Boston Celtics are closing in on their first championship in 16 years. They’re up 3-0 on the Mavericks in the Finals and on the verge of their 18th title in franchise history and doing so in some pretty dominant fashion.
Hypotheticals can be a pointless measure, but it’s hard as a Nuggets fan not to watch these finals play out and wonder how the defending champs would face the likely near-future champs. The teams played twice this regular season with the Nuggets taking both games in dramatic fashion.
The regular season meetings felt like playoff-caliber basketball and it did feel like we were witnessing a preview of the Finals. Many had those matchups circled when the schedule came out and they lived up to the hype. You can’t take anything away from the Mavericks or especially the Celtics but let’s play a little game of ‘what if’?
The one element of the series that could swing things in favor of Denver is that the Nuggets play through Nikola Jokic, a big man. The Celtics defense has been incredible in giving trouble to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. It feels like they have endless defenders to throw at those guys and they’re willing to live with just about any switch.
But those are guards (even if Luka is a bigger guard) and Jokic is a center. The Celtics wouldn’t be able to defend the Nuggets like this. The injury to Krispaps Porzingis and his limited availability so far in these Finals would have been an even bigger story against the Nuggets. Al Horford would do his best but he’s not somebody who would shut down the Joker.
The Celtics would possibly even have to try their big wings, likely Jayson Tatum, to try and slow down Jokic, but ultimately that’s a problem the Celtics may not be able to solve. Now, on the other hand, the Nuggets would have their handful with the Boston offense, especially the wings.
They don’t really have two guys you’d trust to stop Tatum and Brown and that could become an issue. They’d also have a hard time hiding lesser defenders. Plus the Celtics have two of the best guard defenders in the league and a hobbled Jamal Murray likely would have been hounded relentlessly by Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.
It would be a great series and likely one that would look more competitive than the one currently playing out. But alas, it’s not a question we’ll ever get an answer to. Hopefully, this serves as extra motivation for the Nuggets and maybe we’ll finally get this dream Finals matchup in 2025.
If Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins has hurdles to clear to be activated from injured reserve for Sunday’s AFC Championship game, he appears to be off to a good start.
Dobbins was involved in the portion of practice open to reporters on Wednesday, including individual work and ball security drills. The team afterward listed him as a limited participant.
Head coach Sean Payton declined to say anything about Dobbins, including whether he had a realistic chance to play Sunday.
Quarterback Sam Ehlinger came away impressed after Dobbins’ first day of practice.
“He looked great. Y’all saw what I saw. He looked really good,” Ehlinger said. “I think our training staff has done a great job of getting him prepared. Obviously, a quick turnaround. He’s in shape and ready to roll, and hopefully we can have him on Sunday.”
Dobbins has been on injured reserve since the middle of November due to a Lisfranc injury in his left foot sustained Nov. 7 against Las Vegas.
The initial thought from sources around Dobbins was that his best chance to return this season was if Denver advanced all the way to the Super Bowl, allowing for the maximum amount of recovery time. Later in the season, though, head coach Sean Payton hinted that Dobbins had a chance to return earlier in the postseason.
Dobbins himself has told people in the Broncos’ building throughout his rehabilitation that he would be back for the playoffs, though ultimately, he was not ready to return for Denver’s divisional game last week against Buffalo.
Dobbins signed with Denver in June and was one of the NFL’s most productive backs over the first half of the season. In 10 games, he rushed for 772 yards (5.0 per carry) and four touchdowns. He sustained the Lisfranc injury when he got tackled by Raiders defensive lineman Tyree Wilson on a play Dobbins believed was an illegal hip-drop tackle.
Dobbins and the Broncos spent more than a week going through potential treatment options before the back eventually had surgery.
Wattenberg back. Denver starting center Luke Wattenberg had his 21-day window opened on Wednesday, and he returned to practice as a full participant.
That’s perhaps not a big surprise, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to think Wattenberg returns to Denver’s starting lineup Sunday, either. No. 2 Alex Forsyth, who has started the past three games in Wattenberg’s absence, was a limited participant Wednesday with an ongoing ankle issue that has caused him to miss snaps in each of the past two games.
Payton himself said when Wattenberg sustained a shoulder injury late in the regular season that it was right about a four-week injury and that the IR placement was about managing the roster down the stretch of the season.
Update on WRs. Rookie receiver Pat Bryant (concussion) took part in the open portion of Denver’s practice Wednesday and was listed as a limited participant, indicating he’s making at least some progress through the NFL’s concussion protocol. He was hit his head on the Empower Field grass on his third snap vs. Buffalo and was subsequently ruled out.
Second-year man Troy Franklin (hamstring) was at practice and had his helmet, but didn’t stretch with the team and didn’t have shells on like the rest of the players. He was listed as a limited participant.
The remaining list of players on the injury report who practiced fully: OT Frank Crum (ankle), S JL Skinner (quad), TE Lucas Krull (IR, foot) and LB Drew Sanders (IR, foot).
DiNucci was ready. Ben DiNucci was working for CBS Sports on Saturday night in a New York studio. When he heard the news about Bo Nix’s fractured ankle, he suspected he might be part of the ripple effect.
Not long after, he heard from Denver quarterbacks coach Davis Webb and general manager George Paton.
“Davis and George called me Sunday morning and said, ‘Hey, are you around?’” DiNucci said. “I still live in Highlands Ranch, so I’m local. I said ‘Yep. I’ll see you guys Monday morning at 8 a.m.’ and here we are.”
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A blast of arctic air will drop overnight temperatures across Colorado into the single digits this week, and it’s expected feel even colder with wind chill, according to the National Weather Service.
Temperatures are expected to drop Thursday night into Friday morning, and the freezing weather is forecast into Sunday, according to the weather service. Snow will likely accompany the arctic blast across Colorado, forecasters said.
With wind chill, according to the weather service, Friday’s temperature forecasts include lows of:
- 2 degrees below zero in Denver
- 3 degrees below zero in Castle Rock
- 6 degrees below zero in Longmont
- 8 degrees below zero in Fort Collins
- 12 degrees below zero in Greeley and Kiowa
- 18 degrees below zero in Fort Morgan and Julesburg
- And 20 degrees below zero in Limon
The sub-zero temperatures are expected to continue into Saturday and Sunday, with weather service meteorologists forecasting wind chill lows of:
- Zero degrees on Saturday and 8 degrees below zero on Sunday in Evergreen
- 5 degrees below zero on Saturday and 2 degrees below zero on Sunday in Denver
- 5 degrees below zero on Saturday and 4 degrees below zero on Sunday in Longmont
- 6 degrees below zero on Saturday and 4 degrees below zero on Sunday in Castle Rock
- 8 degrees below zero on Saturday and 9 degrees below zero on Sunday in Fort Collins
- 12 degrees below zero on Saturday and 10 degrees below zero on Sunday in Greeley
- 20 degrees below zero on Saturday and 12 degrees below zero on Sunday in Fort Morgan
- 20 degrees below zero on Saturday and 14 degrees below zero on Sunday in Limon
- And 21 degrees below zero on Saturday and 15 degrees below zero on Sunday in Julesburg
As of Wednesday morning, the weather service’s snow forecasts extended through 5 a.m. Saturday and included up to:
- 2 inches in Aurora, Brighton, Broomfield, Castle Rock, Centennial, Commerce City, Denver, Highlands Ranch, Lakewood, Littleton, Northglenn and Parker
- 3 inches in Arvada, Conifer, Evergreen, Golden and Lafayette
- 5 inches in Eldora and on Colorado 125’s Willow Creek Pass near Granby
- 6 inches on U.S. 40’s Rabbit Ears Pass near Steamboat Springs, Colorado 9’s Hoosier Pass near Breckenridge and U.S. 34’s Milner Pass in Rocky Mountain National Park
- 7 inches on U.S. 6’s Loveland Pass and Colorado 14’s Cameron Pass near Fort Collins, and in Winter Park
- And 8 inches on U.S. 40’s Berthoud Pass near Winter Park and Interstate 70’s Vail Pass
Snow will be possible in the Denver area between 11 p.m. Thursday and 4 p.m. Saturday, and will likely continue into Sunday evening in the mountains, so the snow forecasts are expected to grow.
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It’s looking like the Denver Nuggets will have some health on their side in their home matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, but particularly when it comes to star guard Jamal Murray, who’s trending towards playing after being listed questionable leading up to tip-off.
According to AltitudeTV‘s Vic Lombardi, each of Murray (knee), Tim Hardaway Jr. (knee), and Aaron Gordon (hamstring) are all gearing up to play vs. the Lakers, all three of which had been dealing with their respective lingering injuries before tip-off.
AG, Murray and Hardaway all likely to play tonight.
Adelman says his biggest concern is limiting the minutes of the three guys above. He fears he’s been overworking them. — Vic Lombardi (@VicLombardi) January 21, 2026
As a result, the Nuggets will have two of their regular five starters out on the floor, and get Gordon back in the rotation after a one-game absence.
The Nuggets will still be dealing with the absences of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Christian Braun, and offseason acquisition Cam Johnson. However, having two of their typical starters in the mix is a welcomed breath of fresh air for a Denver team that’s faced numerous injury struggles in the first half of this season.
Nuggets Slated to Have Jamal Murray Active vs. Lakers
The biggest news for the Nuggets rotation, though, is that Murray will be healthy and in the mix against the Lakers after being listed as probable with an left knee inflammation before the game, now hoping to continue a dominant start to the new year and cementing his status as a first-time All-Star selection following a career-best first half of the season.
In 39 games, Murray has averaged a career-high of 25.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 7.3 assists while shooting an extremely efficient 49.0% from the field and 44.7% from three, also being a key reason for the Nuggets’ ability to remain steady in the Western Conference while down multiple key pieces of their starting lineup and rotation altogether.
Having Gordon healthy against the Nuggets also comes as a quality asset to have for the night, considering he can bring quality versatility on the wing, while also allowing Denver to be a bit more well-rounded defensively, as they currently rank within the bottom six of the NBA for defensive rating (118.2).
Gordon has been active for the Nuggets in seven of their last ten games, but had sat out in their latest game against the Charlotte Hornets—an outing where they were blown out 87-110 on their home floor.
In his seven appearances since returning from his hamstring strain, he’s averaged 16.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in just over 27 minutes a night; very similar numbers to what he had seen prior to being sidelined for multiple weeks.
As for Hardaway Jr., he’s been active in all but one of the Nuggets’ games this season, and now appears to be leaning towards playing against Los Angeles after having previously deemed it probable with a minor ankle injury. Having him on the floor will provide some quality depth on the wing and a bit of scoring upside to bank on in the second unit.
During his 42 games played for the Nuggets this season, Hardaway Jr.’s surprisingly been one of the better bench contributors in the entire league, averaging 14.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 41.2% from three, having nine games on the season with 20 points or more.
Of course, no Nikola Jokic for the Nuggets still makes things a steeper climb than they’d usually end up being, but Murray being healthy against a Luka and LeBron-led Lakers group at least gives Denver a puncher’s chance to win their fifth game in six tries.
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