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Jamal Murray once feared for his Nuggets future. Now he’s put them on the brink of making history | CNN

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Jamal Murray once feared for his Nuggets future. Now he’s put them on the brink of making history | CNN




CNN
 — 

After tearing his ACL during the 2020/21 season, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray turned to his head coach with tears in his eyes and asked if he would be traded, Denver head coach Michael Malone recalled on Saturday after his team defeated the LA Lakers 119-108 and took a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

“(Murray’s) first thought was, ‘Man are you guys going to trade me? I’m damaged goods,’” Malone told reporters. “I said, ‘Hell no. You’re ours. We love you, we’re going to help you get back and you’re going to be a better player for it.’”

Murray returned at the start of this 2022/23 campaign, after 555 days out injured, and has done exactly that. Against the Lakers, he poured in a game high 37 points, and became just the fourth player in the last 25 years to have three 30+ point halves in the playoffs, according to the NBA.

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“What he’s doing in these playoffs is just a reminder of a guy that we drafted seven years ago that has continued to find ways to improve and really show out on the biggest stage of all,” Malone added.

Murray’s scintillating 30+ point first half laid the foundation for the Nuggets’ victory, compensating for his star teammate Nikola Jokic’s relatively subdued game, though he still added 24 points and eight assists.

The Nuggets are now just one victory away from a first appearance in the NBA Finals, and no team has ever overturned a 3-0 playoff series deficit in league history.

Meanwhile cameras picked out celebrities watching courtside including Adele, Denzel Washington and Jack Nicholson, making a rare public appearance, but even their support could not stop the Lakers edging to the brink of elimination.

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Longtime Lakers fan Jack Nicholson attended the game.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Lakers remained in contention for that crucial victory, even taking the lead with 7:48 left, but the Nuggets embarked on a 13-0 run to secure the win and inch closer to the NBA finals.

LeBron James added 23 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds but missed 11 out of 19 shots, while Anthony Davis contributed 28 points and 18 rebounds.

Game 4, which the Lakers must win to keep the series alive and avoid being swept, is on Monday.

“Circumstances are what they are,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said, according to ESPN. “Difficult but not impossible.”

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Denver, CO

Denver's water utility company releases 'I Want It That Way' parody with watering tips

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Denver's water utility company releases 'I Want It That Way' parody with watering tips


Denver Water made a splash with a throwback-inspired music video highlighting the city’s summer watering practices.

The water utility company released a music video parodying the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” which first made waves with its 1999 release.

The lyrics to Denver Water’s version, titled “I Water That Way,” offer catchy reminders on how best to use water to take care of your home greenery.

“Tell me why? Don’t water when it’s rainin. Tell me why? Don’t water when it’s windy. Tell me why? Don’t let your water wash away. I water that way,” read some of the lyrics on Denver Water’s website.

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In the video, during one waterfront shot, Denver’s water team can be seen wearing Backstreet Boys-inspired all-white outfits, with one even sporting a white fedora.

Denver Water released a video parodying Backstreet Boys “I Want It That Way.”

Denver Water/YouTube

“Look, sometimes you get an idea, and you have to see it through, no matter how much it sets you up to be ridiculed by everyone in your life,” wrote Denver Water’s Jimmy Luthye.

“I’ve wanted to make this video for a very long time. I grew up loving boy band jams and ‘I Water That Way’ is my tribute to the glory days of polished Max Martin pop hits and confusing music videos with far too much eye contact,” the post continued.

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“I Want It That Way” was released in 1999 and saw success near the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was also nominated for Song of the Year at the 2000 Grammy Awards.



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Minnesota stun NBA champs Denver in Game 1 of Western Conference semis

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Minnesota stun NBA champs Denver in Game 1 of Western Conference semis


Anthony Edwards’s 43 points led Minnesota Timberwolves’ 106-99 home win over Denver Nuggets.

Anthony Edwards scored 43 points, Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 20 and the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves took home-court advantage from Denver with a 106-99 win over the Nuggets in Game 1 of a Western Conference semifinal series.

Naz Reid scored 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, Mike Conley had 14 points and 10 assists and Rudy Gobert grabbed 13 rebounds for Minnesota, which pulled away to begin the postseason 5-0.

“They are defending champs, they’re a hard team to beat. Great team. They got great players,” Edwards said of the Nuggets.

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“They got the best player in the league with Nikola Jokic, they got the best closer with Jamal Murray, the best 3-point shooter with Michael Porter Jr So, it is tough to beat this team.”

Game 2 is in Denver on Monday.

Jokic had 32 points, Porter added 20 and Murray finished with 17, all in the second half, for the Nuggets, who are trailing in a playoff series for the first time since losing to the Golden State Warriors in the first round in 2022.

It was a tight game early in the fourth, but the Timberwolves were more poised down the stretch.

Conley hit his third 3-pointer of the game to give Minnesota an 80-77 lead, but Murray answered from deep and was fouled by Towns. He then proceeded to complete the four-point play.

Edwards, who had 25 points in the first half, hit a driving layup through traffic and a pullup 18-footer to put the Timberwolves back in front. Reid hit a pair of 3-pointers, converted a layup and dunked an Edwards miss to give Minnesota a 94-88 lead with 4:20 left.

Jokic converted a three-point play, but the Timberwolves then started to put the game away. Gobert made a layup and banked in a 13-footer and Edwards sank two free throws. Porter committed an offensive foul, and Edwards’ 14-foot fadeaway made it 102-91 with 1:36 left.

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Jokic’s 3-pointer cut Denver’s deficit to 102-96 with 1:02 to go, but the Timberwolves closed it out.

Minnesota jumped out to an 18-4 lead with 5:12 left in the first quarter, but the Nuggets turned up the defence. They forced seven turnovers and held the Timberwolves to 22 points in the final 17 minutes of the first half to lead 44-40 at intermission.

Towns and Conley had 11 points apiece in the third quarter to help put Minnesota ahead 73-71 going into the fourth.

“An 18-4 start, so we get down early, fight like hell to take the lead at halftime, then we played no defense in the third,” Denver coach Michael Malone said.

“You can’t just trade baskets with that team.”

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Timberwolves 106 – 99 Nuggets summary, stats, scores and highlights | NBA Game 1

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Timberwolves 106 – 99 Nuggets summary, stats, scores and highlights | NBA Game 1


Joker in is comfort zone

For as good as Nikola Jokic is in the regular season, he is even better in the playoffs. He has the luxury of having fantastic players around him, but that is in large part because of how easy the Serbian makes the game. Taking nothing away from Aaron Gordon, or Michael Porter Jr. or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are are great players, but they are better players when Nikola Jokic is on the court. In the first round, he averaged 28.2 points, 16.2 rebound and 9.8 assists to lead the NBA in each category though one round. Against Minnesota, he is going to be going up against a two time Defensive Player of the Year, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Naz Reid as second and third defensive options. 



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