Denver, CO
Preview: Nuggets head out to take on Thunder – Denver Stiffs
After a pair of home games against top Eastern Conference teams, the Denver Nuggets (33-15) are back on the road for a trip to get the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder (32-15) off of their backs. In three games this season, the Thunder lead the series 2-1 with both of their wins coming in Denver, where the Nuggets are 19-2 against all other opponents.
The Nuggets are 7-3 over their last 10 games, with all three of those losses coming on the road, including two of them on a five-game East coast road trip. Denver sits just a half game back from the Minnesota Timberwolves and a half game in front of the Thunder in the standings. A win in this game would go a long way towards their chances of clinching the top spot in the conference at the end of the year.
For the Thunder, they’re 6-4 over their last 10 games, and they’re riding a two-game losing streak entering tonight, which includes an ugly loss to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. This team is loaded with young talent, and they’ve been a scrappy team all season long. Now, they’re looking to show that they’re really contending with the top dogs of the league with a chance to clinch the season series tonight.
Who: Denver Nuggets (33-15, 14-11 away) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (32-15, 17-6 home)
When: 6:30 p.m. MST
Where: Paycom Center
How to watch/listen: Denver Stiffs does not condone piracy..unless it’s the romanticized 18th-century type. AltitudeTV where available. League Pass for non-Denver market viewers. Show up in Oklahoma City. 92.5 FM KKSE Altitude Sports Radio
Expected Starting Lineups:
OKC: PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, SG Josh Giddey, SF Luguentz Dort, PF Aaron Wiggins, C Chet Holmgren
DEN: PG Jamal Murray, SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SF Michael Porter Jr., PF Aaron Gordon, C Nikola Jokic
Injuries: Julian Strawther (knee) OUT, Nikola Jokic (back) QUESTIONABLE, Luguentz Dort (ankle) QUESTIONABLE, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (illness) QUESTIONABLE, Chet Holmgren (ankle) QUESTIONABLE, Isaiah Joe (sternum) OUT, Jalen Williams (ankle) OUT
Non-Jokic Scoring
In the previous matchup between these two teams, Nikola Jokic and Peyton Watson were the only starters that attempted more than five shots while shooting greater than 50 percent from the floor. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. combined to shoot 8-of-27 from the floor, including 3-of-14 from 3-point range. Those two provide too much of a scoring punch for the Nuggets to just be silent for the majority of the game. With Jokic’s size advantage inside, he should put up points, but he needs the guys around him to do their part as well.
Keep SGA Outside
In the Nuggets’ victory over the Thunder, their hot shooting helped. However, more importantly, they never let SGA get into a rhythm with easy buckets at the rim. His speed and driving ability makes him a tough cover, but, if you can force him into shooting tough jumpers from mid-range and outside, it makes life much more difficult for him. He scored seven points in the first game, and he’s combined for 65 in the last two. Prevent him from driving straight to the rim the entire game. If he beats you with jumpers from the elbow, you tip your cap and move on.
Jokic Does It All
Jokic is questionable entering tonight’s game with a back injury, but I expect him to suit up in this one. I also know that he is the player in the NBA that has the most impact on the game when he’s playing. When he’s running the offense, everything runs through him, and that’s what we’re banking on tonight. His rebounds + assists prop is set at 21.5, and we’re taking the over on this one. In three games against OKC this season, Jokic is averaging 16.3 rebound chances and 14.3 potential assists. That works out to a total of 30.6 potential chances to rack up stats. OKC allows the third-most combined rebounds and assists to centers, and I think Jokic cashes in on that tonight.
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Denver, CO
Timberwolves Stagger Denver Nuggets With a Game One Haymaker – DNVR Sports
Nikola Jokic – C+
We’re used to Jokić controlling the game. At his best, he is not just dominating but dictating, to the point where point totals are almost irrelevant when deciding the best player on the floor. That’s not what happened in Game One. The Wolves got a better start and outclassed the Nuggets in clutch time. Save for a short spell in the second quarter, Jokić was not in control. Frankly, he wasn’t good enough, even if he was the Nuggets’ best player.
Jokić finished with 32 points, but he struggled from the field. He got nine 3s up in the loss and only connected twice. After the game, Jokić said he was comfortable with the shots he took. But he didn’t look comfortable. He missed several shots inside and took a handful of 3s that felt more like concessions than adjustments. This would all be more tenable had the Nuggets gotten the ball popping, but Jokić turned it over seven times in the loss. Rudy Gobert even read and broke up the floater-zone alley-oop to Aaron Gordon. The Wolves were built to stymie this offense and succeeded in the opener.
Jamal Murray – D+
Murray got off to another slow start from the field in the second round. He was laboring out there, clearly affected by his left calf strain, which became most troublesome on defense. It’s one thing for Murray to go cold, but his inability to hang with Mike Conley was most concerning. On the other end, Anthony Edwards guarded Jamal Murray for much of the night, with Jaden McDaniels guarding Michael Porter Jr. instead. Murray sputtered out of the gate while Edwards was scorching hot. The juxtaposition was hard to ignore.
Murray would eventually find a rhythm on offense. He hit some big-time shots in the second half, but Denver had difficulty getting stops. Murray wasn’t alone in the defensive struggles. Still, his was arguably the most concerning, considering his injury. It won’t magically heal overnight. This is something he’ll have to navigate throughout this run.
Michael Porter Jr. – B+
Porter played with great energy out of the gate, helping keep Denver attached while the Wolves opened the game on a huge run. Murray and Jokić were ineffective initially, so Porter stepped up again. He worked hard on both sides of the ball, finishing with 20 points, four made 3s, three steals, and one block. His production faded in the third quarter. He missed some open looks, and Denver’s top options took the baton. It might have been enough had Denver been more effective on defense, but the defending champions don’t want to be considering hypotheticals. There’s a short runway now to get this thing off the ground.
Aaron Gordon – D
This is going to be a difficult series for Gordon. He’ll either guard up a position with Karl Anthony-Towns or down one for the shifty and explosive Edwards. He’s a great defender who is not particularly well suited for his primary assignments in this round. His inability to shoot and how it affects this matchup is also well-documented. Gobert is remarkably effective as a paint guardian with AG on the floor. The Nuggets got crunched during his minutes.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – D+
The Nuggets are seemingly content to endure Edwards’ onslaught if they shut off the other valves of Minnesota’s offense. That’s all good in theory, but Pope still has to go out and fall on the sword. He played hard as ever and found moments to be disruptive, but he can’t guard Ant. Oh, and lest it go unmentioned, the ‘other’ Wolves got theirs anyway. It was too easy for them to score in the second half.
Reggie Jackson – A-
Guess what wasn’t a problem in Game One? The Reggie Jackson minutes! He and MPJ flipped the game on its head in the first quarter. The Wolves opened up the game on an 18-4 run. Jackson took the floor and went to work on, wait for it — defense. He stripped Nickeil Alexander-Walker before feeding Porter for an alley-oop. He also knocked down a step back three. So much went wrong for the Nuggets, but the second unit’s hands are clean.
Christian Braun – A-
Braun did a good job defending Edwards. He was Denver’s most effective option for at least making life harder on the young superstar. So far, the Nuggets miss Bruce Brown’s offense more than anything. This iteration of the bench can defend. They all finished with a positive plus-minus.
Petyon Watson – C+
Watson grabbed four rebounds in roughly five minutes. His athleticism popped, and his approach was encouraging. The youngest player in the rotation brought the right mentality. He rebounded well, but he finished scoreless. He also air-balled a corner three. The Wolves aren’t worried about that shot, which might be why Watson was essentially cut out of the rotation.
Justin Holiday – B
Denver cruised with Holiday on the floor. He grabbed five rebounds, recorded a steal, and knocked down a three. He was on the wrong end of some Naz Reid brilliance in the fourth quarter, but ultimately, he was a +19 in roughly 16 minutes played.
Denver, CO
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.
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.
“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.
“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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