Denver, CO
Keeler: Bruce Brown says Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray’s Nuggets still “best team” in NBA. He’s right. Know what? They still miss him.
It’s not the cowboy you miss so much as the ride. Bruce Brown didn’t just finish Nikola Jokic’s sentences. He finished lobs with exclamation points. He spun loose balls into gold, three seconds into two points.
On Bruce Brown Day at Ball Arena, a 117-109 Nuggets victory, the most Bruce Brown Moment probably came with 2.9 seconds left in the first half — 2.9 seconds that should’ve been nothing.
Jamal Murray swished a free throw that put the Nuggets up 60-55. Brucey B responded by sprinting up the right boundary like Usain Bolt, snatching the relay heave at midcourt, then blowing past the Blue Arrow, who had two fouls at the time, for a layup that just beat the buzzer.
“We gave Bruce a coast-to-coast drive on a Jamal made free throw,” Denver coach Michael Malone noted after the game, “which can’t happen.”
Honestly? They’re fine. More than fine, now that you mention it. At the season’s midway point, the defending NBA champs have the same record (28-13) after 41 games as they did a year ago. The best starting five in the league got four 20-point efforts and daggers from everybody. These Nuggets are the cruelest kind of cage fighters, lulling you into a false sense of security on the mat before calmly twisting an arm around your neck and squeezing you into the arms of Morpheus.
“That’s a great team,” said Brown, the former Nuggets sixth man who posted 18 points, 10 boards and six assists for Indiana on his personal ring day. “They’re the best team in the league until they get knocked off.”
And yet they’re kinda short on those Brucey B points, sometimes, aren’t they?
The cheapies that come from runouts. The gifts you don’t realize you’ve missed until you see No. 11 streaking downcourt and stuffing them in somebody else’s piggy bank.
The Nuggets ranked fifth in the NBA in fast-break points during the 2022-23 regular season. Denver opens the week at a more modest 18th (13.3 per game) in the loop this winter. The Pacers, who secured Brown’s services with a mammoth two-year, $45-million free-agent contract this past summer, are second, at 17.5 per tilt.
“Everyone (with the Nuggets), they knew that at some point I was gonna leave last year,” Brown recalled after the game. “They cheered me on. They said, ‘You (couldn’t) come back,’ because they knew I couldn’t turn down (the money) I got. But I’m happy that they’re still in my life.”
In a divorce nobody wanted, the bad guy was the system. The salary cap tied the Nuggets’ purse strings tight. The Pacers, meanwhile, found themselves sitting on a chest of gold coins they needed to chuck at somebody decent. Brucey B was better than that, of course, a plugger overdue for a payday. Good for him.
Brown is a New Englander with a Wyoming soul. He still fits this town like an old pair of boots, even though the right one was being ornery at his locker stall after the game.
In a bit of serendipitous scheduling, Brown got a window to visit the National Western Stock Show on Saturday — “watching the real cowboys,” he cracked — before an emotional pregame video tribute on Sunday tugged heartstrings and stoked old fires.
Malone walked over from the home bench and extended a warm embrace. No. 11 looked like a kid at Christmas as ex-teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope presented him with that ring, 89 rubies and 16 carats he helped make a reality.
“I think it’s huge and it’s sparkly,” Brown noted later. “This is my first thing with diamonds on it.”
If the hoops gods are kind, it won’t be the last. Because when the current Nuggets surrounded Brown near the scorer’s table, smothering him with love, it felt as if he’d never left.
“It was more than what I expected,” the Pacers swingman reflected. “I didn’t know that the crowd is gonna cheer like that. I almost started crying, but (held back), because I told one of the fans I wasn’t gonna cry. So it was tough. I love it, though.”
You love the swagger, same as it ever was. Brown had sauntered into Ball Arena on Sunday morning wearing his trademark hat, then re-introduced himself to the Joker as only Brucey B could.
While the two-time MVP was practicing treys at the top of the key before the game, Brown snuck up behind, closed quickly, and playfully swatted away the Joker’s shot with a cheeky right hand.
Jokic laughed, knew the culprit immediately, and responded by bouncing the ball off the back of his old teammate’s noggin.
“(He) hit me in the head,” Brown recalled with a grin. “I didn’t know he was gonna throw it. It hit me right (here). But, I mean, that’s our relationship. Pregame (last year), he used to throw stuff at me, too. I was two lockers down from him.
“So yeah, I missed them.”
They missed him, too. Just how much, we might not know until the spring, when those 2.9 seconds can buck a season’s hard work into the sunset.
Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.
Denver, CO
Twitter reacts to another Bo Nix comeback vs. Texans
The Denver Broncos have made significant work of the fourth quarter this season. Denver has outscored opponents 80-26 in the final 15 minutes during their six-game win streak, which have led to some heart-pounding games from the Broncos this year. Denver has scored 96 points in the final 15 minutes this season, tied with the Green Bay Packers for the most in the NFL.
In Sunday’s win over the Houston Texans, the Broncos entered the final frame down 15-7, before promptly scoring a touchdown and two-point conversion to tie the game with just over 12 minutes left. Bo Nix then led a final Denver drive to kick the game-winning field goal as time expired. Sunday marked the Broncos’ fourth fourth quarter comeback this year, tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the most this season. Twitter lit up after Nix’s latest great escape.
The Broncos now have a short week to prepare for the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
Denver, CO
First memorial to Flight 629 bombing, one of Colorado’s deadliest mass murders, unveiled in Denver
There is a distinct before and after the night of Nov. 1, 1955, when a United Airlines flight exploded over a sugar beet field near Longmont, killing all 44 people on board in one of the deadliest mass murders in Colorado history.
There is before Susan Morgan lost her parents, Stewart and Anne, at 12 years old because a Denver man, Jack Gilbert Graham, put a homemade bomb in his mother’s suitcase.
Graham bought a life insurance policy as he escorted his mother, Daisie King, to the gate for United Airlines Flight 629 at Stapleton Airport. She unknowingly carried 25 sticks of dynamite, timed to explode after the Portland, Oregon-bound flight took off.
There is before Dave Benedict learned, at 3 years old, that he would never meet his grandparents, James and Sarah Dorey, because they were killed when a bomb exploded on their flight to visit him for the first time.
Now 70 years after the bombing of Flight 629, families of the 44 victims gathered at the former Stapleton control tower for the unveiling of Colorado’s first memorial to the tragedy.
“Today’s commemoration is not just about what happened in 1955, it’s about who we became because of it,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek told hundreds of people gathered at the FlyteCo Tower on Saturday morning.
It was also about healing, Benedict said. He thought this weekend would include a dinner, maybe, and was at a loss for words to describe what the ceremonies and events organized by the Denver Police Museum and dozens of other organizations and volunteers meant to him.
“The ability to listen to other people’s stories and to hear what carrying 70 years of unspoken pain has been like… we’re hearing that over and over again,” he said. “Very few of the victims’ children or spouses had any context in which to talk about this, to work through it or process it, so that’s happening now.”
In the decades after losing her parents, Morgan came to realize she also had lost her life as she knew it and who she thought she would become, she said.

But even knowing the darkness that became part of her life, Morgan told the crowd of families, first responders, investigators and court officials, she cannot wish that it never happened. That she had never created her “second family,” or viewed the world with clear eyes.

“I’m among a large group of people whose lives have been scarred by the same tragedy as mine,” Morgan said. “That sense of something shared is a remarkable thing.”
It’s not clear why it took so long to create a memorial to the bombing, although some officials on Saturday speculated the scattered nature of the victims’ families – only one, Daisie King, was from Colorado – played a part.
But each one had a story, former Denver Police Department Deputy Chief William Nagle told the crowd. Nagle read out name after name, describing the life behind each one.
Capt. Lee Hall, a World War II veteran who was planning to retire early. He left behind a wife and four children.
Helen Fitzpatrick, who was flying with her 13-month-old son, James, so he could meet his father and namesake while he was deployed in Japan.
They were restaurant owners, general contractors, car salesmen. Folks taking the first airplane trip of their lives.
“What is important now is that we tell the story of each of these 44 lives,” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston told the crowd.
Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.
Denver, CO
Denver mom turns backyard into emergency food pantry on Halloween amid SNAP benefit uncertainty
DENVER — A Denver woman turned her backyard into an emergency food pantry on Halloween, hoping to fill a need while federal food assistance remains uncertain.
Joanna Rosa-Saenz organized the grassroots food drive after hearing about food insecurity in her northwest Denver neighborhood.
“We live in America. We shouldn’t be hungry, we shouldn’t be hungry,” said Rosa-Saenz. “And I don’t want anyone on my block to be hungry.”
Denver7
Federal judges in two separate cases ruled Friday that the Trump administration cannot suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the government shutdown.
The Massachusetts ruling came after about two dozen states sued the federal government, arguing the Agriculture Department’s plan to halt all SNAP payments starting Nov. 1 would unlawfully cut off aid to millions of low-income families.
The Agriculture Department had argued it could not legally tap contingency funds to keep the program running. But the judge disagreed and ordered the agency to report back by Monday on how it will fund benefits. Under the ruling, payments could still be temporarily reduced depending on available funds.
Around the same time, the Massachusetts decision was issued, a federal judge in Rhode Island delivered a similar ruling from the bench. That case was brought by cities and nonprofit groups, and the court likewise found the administration must use available funds to continue providing benefits.
President Donald Trump indicated his administration would comply with the rulings, but accused the courts of issuing conflicting opinions and is seeking more clarity on how SNAP should be funded.
National Politics
Judges say Trump administration can’t suspend SNAP benefits during shutdown
Despite the rulings, it’s unclear when and how much assistance will be given out for the month of November.
With the need still there, Rosa-Saenz opened her backyard to the public Friday afternoon and asked the community to drop off canned goods while trick-or-treating.
The emergency food pantry now holds essential items like canned and dry goods, personal hygiene products and baby items.
Denver7
Rosa-Saenz, a single mother of three, told Denver7 she understands the challenges many families are facing today because she is a former SNAP recipient.
“I remember having to stand in line for a food box, things like that,” Rosa-Saenz said.
But to get the food drive up and running, Rosa-Saenz knew she needed help. Several nonprofits joined the effort, including Lacy McDonald, executive director of Outer Haven, a nonprofit working to reduce youth inequities.
Denver7
“One phone call can turn into this,” said McDonald. “And this is just a little snippet, so think what we could do together as a whole city.”
Before trick-or-treating started Friday night, more than 900 pounds of food had been collected for Rosa-Saenz’s backyard.
“That’s what community is,” she said. “Community is stepping up, working together and really making unity in the community.”
Scripps News Group contributed to this report.
If you would like to donate, below is a list of donation locations:
- 4229 Irving St. in Denver.
- Open from Nov 1 through Nov. 10
- Donations can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily
- 5123 Chase St. in Denver
- Open from Oct. 31 through Nov. 2
- Please place donations at the end of the driveway
- Moonflower Coffee, located at 4200 W Colfax Ave. in Denver
- Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
These are the most needed items:
- Ramen, pasta, rice, cereal
- Canned tuna, chicken, beans, soup
- Canned fruits & veggies
- Peanut butter & jelly
- Baby food, formula, diapers & wipes
- Menstrual products, toothpaste & soap
- Denver7 Gives has created a campaign to help Coloradans struggling with food insecurity. Click on the form below and select “Help Fight Food Insecurity“ to donate.
-
Milwaukee, WI6 days agoLongtime anchor Shannon Sims is leaving Milwaukee’s WTMJ-TV (Channel 4)
-
News6 days agoWith food stamps set to dry up Nov. 1, SNAP recipients say they fear what’s next
-
Alabama1 week agoHow did former Alabama basketball star Mark Sears do in NBA debut with Milwaukee Bucks?
-
News1 week ago1 dead, 6 injured in shooting at Lincoln University homecoming festivities
-
Austin, TX1 week agoDia De Los Muertos Austin: Parades, Altars & Events
-
Politics1 week agoTrump to jet off to Asia as North Korea fires ballistic missiles and China trade questions loom
-
Seattle, WA6 days agoFOX 13’s Aaron Levine wins back-to-back Jeopardy! episodes
-
Culture4 days agoVideo: Dissecting Three Stephen King Adaptations