Besides the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have already clinched the top seed in the Western Conference, the rest of the teams from the second to the eighth seed could see significant changes in their standings positioning before the season ends. On Sunday night, the Denver Nuggets face the Houston Rockets with major playoff implications.

While the Rockets are separating themselves at the top of the standings as the second seed, the Nuggets are just two games back in the standings. Denver will need everything they can to upset a red-hot Houston team but are set to be without one of their stars for the contest.

The Nuggets have listed center Nikola Jokic as out on the injury report due to left ankle impingement. Sunday night will mark the fourth-straight missed contest for Jokic, as his chances at a fourth MVP have seemingly vanished.

In his prior five games leading up to his recent injury stretch, Jokic averaged 32.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 7.0 assists but only helped his team to a 2-3 record. Given the Nuggets’ recent drop in form and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander locking up the top seed with the Thunder, it looks as if the standout guard will earn his first MVP honors.

However, the Nuggets will have to move on and do what they can to defeat the Rockets short-handed. Tip-off in Houston is set for 7:00 p.m. EST.

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Men’s Basketball

March 22, 2025

Auburn’s Denver Jones puts Creighton to sleep with and-one dagger

March 22, 2025

Denver Jones sealed 1-seed Auburn’s win over Creighton with a tough finish plus the foul, hitting the ‘night-night’ celebration.

The NFL has taken notice of the Denver Broncos. After defying the odds last season, winning 10 games on the way to a playoff berth, the Broncos followed that up by making several splash free-agent signings in March.

Relative to the NFL’s power rankings around the web, the Broncos have universally climbed. In NFL.com’s post-free agency power rankings, the Broncos climbed just one spot from where they were at season’s end to No. 12. But in Pro Football Focus‘ new NFL power rankings, Denver has cracked the top-10 to check in at No. 8.

“Backed by an exceptional defense that ranked second in EPA allowed per play in 2024, Denver was expected to prioritize offensive upgrades in free agency. Instead, they doubled down on their defensive strength, adding high-upside pieces in Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw. Both spent much of 2024 dealing with injuries, but given the unit’s overall strength, the potential reward outweighs the risk.

“While the addition of Evan Engram provides a boost, the offense is still lacking playmakers. Bo Nix showed promise in his first year, but his continued development could be hindered without more weapons to support him,” Mason Cameron wrote.

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The Broncos have been scouting and meeting with many of the 2025 NFL draft class’ top prospects at tight end and running back. Engram gives Denver a tight end and big slot/joker weapon, but he’s on the wrong side of 30, so the team would be remiss to pass over this incredibly deep class at the position. It wouldn’t surprise me if they drafted two tight ends.

That being said, what Denver’s offense still sorely lacks is a viable running back. The Broncos would be setting up Nix for a sophomore slump if Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime were to headline the running back attack in 2025, so it’s imperative that a starting-caliber option (or two, again) is procured in the draft.

At running back, names like Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, and Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson have been heavily linked to the Broncos. At tight end, it’s a question of naming which guys haven’t met with or been linked to Denver.

The tight end headliners are Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michigan’s Colston Loveland. But just beyond them are some absolute studs who check at least one ‘joker’ trait, like Miami’s Elijah Arroyo, Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson, LSU’s Mason Taylor, Texas’ Gunnar Helm, and Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr.

The more the Broncos are able to add to the arsenal around Nix, the higher this team’s outlook will climb. The Broncos already have one of the NFL’s best young quarterbacks and offensive lines. Now it’s about weaponry.

It might sound counterintuitive, but the Broncos did build around Nix by bolstering the defense with two top-tier free-agent signings. However, both Hufanga and Greenlaw fill a roster need at safety and linebacker, respectively.

The Broncos let starting linebacker Cody Barton walk in free agency, and they did it for a reason; he faltered down the stretch when the stakes began to rise. With Barton gone, a big hole on the defense opened up and while Drew Sanders was always going to be the fall-back option, the Broncos were able to go with Plan A in Greenlaw.

Hufanga arrives in a similar situation, except, the guy he’s replacing in the starting lineup is still on the roster. The Broncos gave P.J. Locke a two-year extension a year ago, but after thriving as the No. 3 safety in 2023, he failed to put a stranglehold on the starting job in 2024 with very leaky coverage and inconsistent tackling.

Not only does Hufanga provide an infusion of talent, but he relegates Locke back to a role that plays to his strengths as the No. 3 guy. Alongside fellow starter Brandon Jones, Hufanga gives Denver a much higher defensive ceiling than what it had in Locke.

The caveat with both Greenlaw and Hufanga is health, but that goes without saying. On the other side of the ball, Engram’s arrival comes in the spirit of building the nest around Nix, and it won’t be the last move in that effort.

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