Denver, CO
Nikola Jokic leads Nuggets to win over Lakers in playoff opener
DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 32 points and 12 rebounds, and the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets powered past LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 114-103 in their Western Conference playoff opener Saturday night.
Two other Nuggets players posted double-doubles, Jamal Murray (22 points, 10 assists) and Aaron Gordon (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Michael Porter Jr. came close with 19 points and eight boards.
James had 27 points for L.A. and Anthony Davis had 32 points and 14 rebounds, but the Lakers lost to the Nuggets for the ninth consecutive time and Denver handed James just his fourth loss in 17 first-round openers.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who scored all 12 of his points after halftime, made a trio of 3-pointers in a 13-0 run the Nuggets used to seize control in the third quarter.
Porter excelled on the court, as coach Michael Malone predicted he would, after a trying week for his family that saw one younger brother, Coban Porter, sentenced to six years in jail for a fatal drunken driving crash on Friday and another, former Toronto Raptors guard Jontay Porter, banned from the NBA for betting on basketball and disclosing confidential information to other bettors.
“There’s so much going on off the court for Michal Porter Jr. and his family,” Malone said. “This allows him to get back to doing something not only that he loves but also that he does very, very well.”
The Nuggets entered these playoffs with bullseyes on their backs but supremely confident of their chances to repeat after tying a franchise record with 57 regular season wins, four more than last year.
One sign of their looseness, Jokic, who’s starring in a teaser for “Despicable Me 4” where he seeks therapy because the Minions think he’s their boss, arrived at Ball Arena decked out in a black-and-gray striped scarf and gray pants, looking like Felonius Gru, the lead character from the movie franchise.
James should have shown up dressed like Vector because he played the perfect villain for the sold-out crowd that drowned out the Lakers’ pregame introductions.
James ended a terrific first half in which he scored 19 points with a 32-foot 3-pointer to break a 57-all tie after the Lakers had blown a 12-point lead.
Denver’s 13-0 run in the third quarter threatened to make it a laugher as the Nuggets stretched their lead to 15 in the fourth quarter. But James made two free throws, Davis had a three-point play and Taurean Prince made a basket to cut the Lakers’ deficit to 96-88 with 7:17 remaining.
The closest they got to the Nuggets, though, was at 103-96 before Porter hit a 3 and Jokic had a dunk off a turnover by James to push Denver’s lead to 12.
The Nuggets are seeking to become the first team to successfully defend its NBA title since the Golden State Warriors did it in 2018.
Denver swept the Lakers in last season’s Western Conference finals, the next-to-last step the Nuggets had to clear before claiming their first NBA title.
The Lakers haven’t beaten the Nuggets since Dec. 16, 2022. They’ll try again Monday night in Game 2 at Ball Arena, where Denver is now 34-8 this season.
James lost for just the 18th time in 80 first-round games. He lost a playoff opener for third time in his six seasons with the Lakers, and fourth overall. His team also lost series openers in Round 1 in 2018 (Indiana over Cleveland), 2020 (Portland over the Lakers) and 2021 (Phoenix over the Lakers).
DENVER — Saturday will bring strong-to-severe thunderstorms across far northeastern Colorado this afternoon and evening.
The storms could produce large hail, strong winds, and lightning.
For the Denver metro and communities along the I-25 corridor, storm coverage is much lower.
Storm threat for northeastern Colorado Saturday; sunny and warmer Sunday
While a few showers and storms may still develop, many locations could remain dry for most of the day.
Saturday’s afternoon high will reach the upper 70s and lower 80s across the plains, with cooler conditions in the high country.
Denver7
Sunday will be calmer with the storm system moving away from our region.
Sunday will bring drier conditions statewide and plenty of sunshine with highs in the 80s.
There is a chance of isolated showers in the mountains.
Warmer temperatures are expected through the next week, with a chance of thunderstorms returning on Monday.
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DENVER WEATHER LINKS: Hourly forecast | Radars | Traffic | Weather Page | 24/7 Weather Stream
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DENVER (KDVR) — The last few days of May will be warm and mostly dry, but the Denver weather forecast does show a steady warming trend through the first week of June.
Highs on Saturday will be seasonal and mostly dry with a stray storm possible. Colorado will return to the low 80s on Sunday and will likely be dry across most of the state.
Denver weather tonight: Partly cloudy and mild
Skies will be partly cloudy overnight Friday. Any lingering showers will dissipate by midnight. Temperatures will remain slightly above normal with lows around Denver in the lower to middle 50s. Winds will be light from the south and southwest.
Denver weather Saturday: Seasonal and mostly sunny
Denver will see seasonally warm highs Saturday afternoon in the upper 70s, though the urban core may crack the lower 80s. An isolated storm or two may fire up in the afternoon north of Interstate 76 and the high country, but most of Colorado will remain dry.
Looking ahead: Warming to start June
Monday is the first day of June. Temperatures will be in the low 80s with a better chance for afternoon showers and storms. Winds will also be a bit breezy. The metro area will continue to warm Tuesday and Wednesday into the mid-80s. Both days have a chance for storms, but Tuesday will have a better setup for storms.
Denver will be drier the second half of the workweek as temperatures climb into the mid-80s. Next weekend may see highs back in the upper 80s. That’s not record-breaking, but quite warm for early June by about 10 degrees.
Von Miller has made it abundantly clear that he would like to return to the Denver Broncos and finish his career where it started. Miller has made that fact known at every possible opportunity, including a Von’s Vision charity event on Wednesday.
“I would love to bring back those Super Bowl 50 vibes, love to assist, to be the vice president to Bo Nix, to Courtland Sutton,” Miller said. “I’ve been the guy and also I’ve been the vice president as well. I would love to contribute to us getting back to the glory land, to holding up that trophy.”
Miller went on to note that he has lobbied coach Sean Payton to sign him (Payton coached Miller at a flag football tournament earlier this year).
Unfortunately for Miller, it sounds like there are no plans for a potential reunion with his old club. The Denver Post‘s Luca Evans reported that “as of last week,” there have been no talks between the Broncos and Miller’s representatives about a potential contract.
With a crowded outside linebacker room, Denver seems unlikely to re-sign Miller, but the 37-year-old pass rusher said he will “for sure” play in 2026. After totaling nine sacks with the Washington Commanders last fall, Miller will probably be able to find a home as a rotational pass rusher, but it might not be with the Broncos.
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