Denver, CO
Recap: Denver Nuggets pull away from Detroit Pistons in second half, win 131-114 – Denver Stiffs
The Denver Nuggets weren’t about to let the Detroit Pistons find any sort of feel good stories against them. Detroit was able to keep with Denver for a half but Jamal Murray was scoring with ease while Nikola Jokic issued masterclass on passing. Meanwhile the Pistons got hit with yet another injury as star Cade Cunningham was unable to finish the game. The differences between the team with the worst record in the league and the team that is the defending champs became clearer and clearer as the game went on and by the time it was over it was a full on blowout. Denver wins going away, 131-114
The Nuggets started off slow from the field. Murray was firing away and got a couple shots to go to keep the game tied. The Nuggets defense challenged every Pistons shot at the rim and kept Denver in the lead but they weren’t able to string together enough makes to grow it. Detroit kept shooting from three and had some success there to also help keep the game tight. As the quarter progressed it stayed back and forth with the Nuggets still clinging to a small lead. The benches checked in with the Nuggets up a couple possessions. Murray came back in to stagger with the reserve group and gave them some offense but the Pistons continued to be pesky with Kevin Knox hitting a couple shots. After one quarter Denver was up 31-29.
Up and under pic.twitter.com/ivGCNjTVQk
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 8, 2024
Murray opened the second quarter like he did the first, firing away and hitting shots. Otherwise though there wasn’t a ton of offense from the reserve group. Meanwhile the Pistons started to get things rolling. They went on a 13-2 run to take the lead and make Michael Malone take a timeout. After that Reggie Jackson had back to back nice feeds for his teammates to tie the game and then lobbed a pass up to DeAndre Jordan that he finished like it was 2015 DeAndre to take back the lead. Detroit pushed right back and probably would have got the lead back if they’d stop stepping out of bounds on the corners. Murray stayed cooking for the Nuggets while Jokic served as the distributor but the Pistons continued to be able to match Denver’s offensive output. That was saying something because Murray could not miss in the second quarter. The Nuggets closed the quarter strong and were finally able to gain a little separation. The half ended with Denver up 65-57 and Murray with 25 points.
*Flashbacks* https://t.co/kGEQeAxseE pic.twitter.com/JglROrnCdc
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 8, 2024
The second half opened with Cunningham not in the lineup for Detroit. Murray continued to be aggressive for the Nuggets and they started to finally grow their lead into double digits. Unfortunately they took their foot off the gas a bit and Detroit pushed the lead back down to eleven which had Malone taking an angry timeout. Out of the TO Murray knocked down a step back three to put him past the thirty point mark with more than eight minutes still left in the third quarter. The Nuggets got a little sloppy with the ball but the talent difference between the two squads was starting to become apparent and the lead stayed north of ten. Jokic was headed towards a career high assists (he fell two short) and picked apart the defense while the bench was checking in. The only thing that slowed him down was the referees getting their feelings hurt that they were missing calls so they called a flopping technical on him (absolutely was not a flop) and then gave him his fourth foul because he apparently didn’t let James Wiseman push him hard enough. Watson got it going with the quarter winding down as the game was quickly turning into a blow out. Jackson hit Watson with a behind the back pass for a breakaway jam to put the exclamation point on a great quarter for Denver. The Nuggets finished the third up 108-85.
How we got here https://t.co/S6loZhtb6T pic.twitter.com/ruhC4iUP7U
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 8, 2024
Watson continued to give strong minutes to open the fourth, he had his whole game working from the driving to the shooting to the defensive menacing. The Nuggets kept shooting well and the lead kept growing. It started too look like Jokic’s services would not be needed in the fourth quarter. Just when Murray checked out though the Pistons went on a mini-run and pulled the lead back down to seventeen provoking a Denver timeout. The teams were trading baskets from there as the quarter progressed past the halfway mark. With just over four minutes to go Malone pulled the last of the starters off the floor with the Nuggets up twenty. The deep bench fully checked in at the two and a half minute mark and they were predictably sloppy which made this game a nail biter for those who took the Nuggets -16.5. Otherwise it was a laugher and even the Nuggets betting faithful was rewarded when Isaiah Liver missed a three with twenty seconds to go which kept a seventeen point Denver lead intact. Nuggets win easily 131-114.
Couple tough buckets from Jamal
37 PTS / 5 REB / 4 AST / 1 BLK / 1 STL pic.twitter.com/0IIozqXpLQ
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 8, 2024
If you use Santa Fe Drive as a part of your daily commute, you will notice full closures this weekend on a popular section, from Florida Avenue to Evans Avenue, for the installation of a pedestrian bridge.
Once the 370-foot pedestrian bridge is completed, it will connect the east and west portions of Denver’s Overland neighborhood. This bridge will be used by pedestrians and bicyclists.
The Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure says this closure is needed to keep the traveling public safe. Large cranes will be used to set the two spans in place. Each one weighs about 215,000 pounds and is 180 feet long.
Once the bridge is completed in 2027, it will create a safer connection for pedestrians and bicyclists. It will link neighborhoods to trails, transit, parks, and local businesses without requiring residents to cross heavy traffic.
“Our neighborhood is quartered by transportation routes, so having a safe pedestrian bridge that can take people from one side to the other is an amazing development that neighbors have been asking for for years,” Jenn Greiving, President, Overland Park Neighborhood Association, said.
The Santa Fe Drive closure will begin at midnight on Saturday, July 11, and end on Monday, July 13, at 5 a.m. There will be detours in place. This includes:
- Southbound Santa Fe Drive Detour: Traffic will be routed to Platte River Drive to reenter southbound Santa Fe Drive at the West Evans Avenue on-ramp.
- Northbound Santa Fe Drive Detour: Access to northbound Santa Fe Drive will be at Mississippi Avenue via South Broadway Street.
- On-Ramp Closure: The West Evans Avenue on-ramp to northbound Santa Fe Drive will close at noon on Friday, July 10, to prepare for the full weekend closure and will remain closed until 5 a.m. on Monday, July 13. Traffic will be detoured to South Broadway Street to re-enter northbound Santa Fe Drive via Mississippi Avenue.
- Off-Ramp Closure: The southbound Santa Fe Drive off-ramp to West Evans Avenue will close for the full weekend period and remain closed until Friday, Sept. 11, while crews build new sidewalks and perform other concrete work at the southwest corner of the project. Detours will be posted to West Florida Avenue, West Dartmouth Avenue or West Hampden Avenue to bypass the ramp closure
During this closure, DOTI will reopen the underpass on Iowa Avenue. This is a new ADA accessible pathway that will be available between Santa Fe Drive and Acoma Street.
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 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?
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