Denver, CO
Nuggets defeat Heat in NBA Finals rematch after Thomas Bryant receives championship ring mid-suspension
One of the enduring memories from the 2023 NBA Finals for Nuggets fans will always be Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray matching each other with 30-point triple-doubles in a clutch Game 3 win.
Eight months later, in their first rematch against the Miami Heat since that series, the Nuggets had to survive a half without Murray, who sprained his right ankle landing on teammate Aaron Gordon in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Jokic’s recent super-efficient stretch of games was encountering an obstacle as he shot 6 for 15 from the floor.
So the defending champs instead found life for most of the night in Michael Porter Jr., the sharpshooter who couldn’t buy a bucket in his first career NBA Finals. Porter amassed 30 points and 11 rebounds along with impressive defensive activity in a 103-97 win Thursday night at Ball Arena.
“It was a great series. … I was just looking forward to the rematch,” Porter said. “I’m so far past a bad shooting stretch in the Finals.”
The Heat trailed 94-81 with 5:19 remaining, but Terry Rozier’s shot-making helped close the gap in clutch time. After a Jokic offensive foul in the last minute with a four-point lead, Jimmy Butler scored with 10.7 seconds left to cut the deficit to 99-97. Denver wasn’t in the bonus yet, so Michael Malone used a timeout to advance the ball after Miami fouled. Jokic made a pair of foul shots to double the lead and finish the game with 18 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. He came up short of joining rare company with a fifth consecutive triple-double.
“Very reminiscent of our Finals games,” Malone said.
Aaron Gordon added 16 points, nine rebounds and three steals, powering his way through the Miami frontcourt during a key stretch early in the fourth quarter as Denver (41-19) was seeking insurance on a lead that had been slimmed to two the previous frame. Gordon helped get it back to 15 before the Heat made the late push.
Thomas Bryant was the last of four former Nuggets players from the 2022-23 championship team to be honored with a pregame ring ceremony upon return to Ball Arena.
But the circumstances of Bryant’s reunion were unusual. He was still serving a three-game, league-issued suspension Thursday night after his involvement in a recent fight between Heat and Pelicans players. Suspended players typically aren’t even allowed to be present in the arena for a game from which they’re suspended, but the NBA made an exception to allow Bryant to receive his ring. He was spotted exiting Ball Arena via the loading dock about five minutes before the opening tip.
“I’m just glad that the NBA’s letting him get the moment,” Malone said. “Obviously they had the situation against New Orleans with suspensions, but that’s where I think smarter heads prevailed in allowing Thomas to get the attention, recognition and the ring in front of a crowd.”
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Denver, CO
Denver officers cited for separate incidents, 1 fired
DENVER (KDVR) — Two officers, one now formerly of the Denver Police Department, face multiple charges relating to separate incidents in the past two months.
According to a release, now-former Denver Police Officer Gabriel Lucero was issued a citation for third-degree assault, official misconduct and false reporting, while Officer Javon Leach was cited for reckless driving and eluding.
The incident involving Lucero reportedly occurred on May 22 just before 1 a.m. in the 500 block of 16th Street. According to a release, Lucero was involved in an assault at a business, as he allegedly assaulted a person and walked away as others continued to assault the victim.
Security guards and an off-duty officer escorted him and the group out; however, Lucero reportedly identified himself as a Denver police officer and attempted to re-enter by using his police badge.
Lucero reportedly provided a false name without any other information, and further investigation verified Lucero as the person involved. Lucero was hired in 2025 and, due to his current probationary status, was fired as of Wednesday.
The incident involving Leach occurred around 1:41 a.m. on June 21, when Leach was reportedly pulling out of a parking lot on Larimer Street, attempting to drive against traffic.
Leach reportedly refused commands to stop as he left the area. Officials said he was found just seven minutes later, traveling at high speeds northbound on Park Avenue West.
He reportedly fled a traffic stop and continued to drive away, and officials deemed Leach to be the suspect following an investigation. He was placed in an off-line assignment while the case progresses, as they are considered misdemeanors.
“The Denver Police Department’s administrative review of Leach’s incident will begin once the criminal case is adjudicated, and that process includes the Denver Department of Safety and the Office of the Independent Monitor, a civilian oversight agency,” the release said.
Denver, CO
Peyton Watson landing spots: Could Nuggets star actually leave Denver?
Denver Nuggets standout forward Peyton Watson could find himself on another team before you know it.
With the Nuggets reportedly open to a sign-and-trade of Watson, could Denver really lose a core piece to their rotation?
It’s hard to imagine many teams being able to shoulder the financial weight of a Watson contract at this point because of the aprons and such, but he’s absolutely an asset to any contending team.
We’ve gone through and identified a few teams that make sense for Watson in the fall… including the one he’s already on at the moment. Hey, he might stay home, you never know!
The Clippers have been linked to Watson as a possible destination; he could help them immensely.
The Pistons have also been linked to Watson, which would help them a lot to contend for an NBA title.
Look, HYPOTHETICALLY, the Nets could move around some cap space with some player trades and such and get a deal done. They are one of the only teams in the NBA right now not in the negative with cap space.
The Grizzlies are the team with the least amount of negative cap space right now, per Spotrac. If they really wanted to pull off a Watson sign-and-trade… it would be hypothetically possible from a money standpoint.
Denver Nuggts
Look, it’s very possible Watson just stays in Denver on a brand-new deal. Who knows at this point?
Denver, CO
City of Denver says images of piling waste a case of illegal dumping
DENVER (KDVR) – A Denver Park Hill Resident says trash in her alley hasn’t been picked up by city-run waste collection in more than 2 months.
“It’s starting to be frustrating because that pile has been there 2.5 months, and I’m not kidding about that,” Andrea Sanders-Childs said.
A spokesperson for Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) says they did receive a call about the address on Krameria in mid-June and are investigating the case as ‘illegal dumping’ versus ‘missed collection.’
The DOTI spokesperson says more information will be available when the inspector assigned to the area returns on Wednesday.
Sanders-Childs said that the people who live in the home closest to the mess had actually rented a dumpster; however, it was eventually picked up and towed away.
In the meantime, for Denver residents, DOTI provided FOX31 with the following reminders:
- Carts that are overfilled, stuffed or too heavy cannot be emptied
- All trash must be inside the cart, and overflow trash cannot be collected
- To report illegal dumping, call 311
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