Denver, CO

Recap: The Denver Nuggets overcome a 23-point deficit, drop the Atlanta Hawks 134-133 – Denver Stiffs

Published

3 months ago

December 6, 2025

Recap: The Denver Nuggets overcome a 23-point deficit, drop the Atlanta Hawks 134-133 – Denver Stiffs

The Denver Nuggets looked terrible early, falling behind by as many as 23 points before rallying with an 80-point second half to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 134-133. Nikola Jokic was terrible in the first half, going 2-for-13 from the field but rallied to put up 40 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists on 50% shooting. Jamal Murray was clutch, leading much of a 20-0 rally with Jokic on the bench in the fourth quarter and putting up 23 points with 12 assists and 5 boards. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown combined for 30 points, and Cam Johnson had 16 as Denver put just enough on the scoreboard to get the win.

For the Hawks, Jalen Johnson had a triple-double in the first half and finished with a monster 21 point / 18 rebound / 16 assist night, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker let the team with 30 points and Kristaps Porzingis had 25 in 20 minutes. Even with 15 points on 5 threes from Vit Krejci, the Hawks just couldn’t stop Denver in the second half as the Nuggets paid back Atlanta’s hot first-half shooting with a half of their own and completed the third-largest comeback in Nuggets history.

Game Flow

Dyson Daniels opened the scoring at the rim for Atlanta and Onyeka Okongwu buried a triple, while Cam Johnson missed a pair of jumpers for Denver. Denver’s defense forced a 24-second violation and Jokic finished at the rim, then Cam got a steal and transition layup. Jokic got a rebound on a missed Cam three and turned it into a Peyton Watson dunk, but Atlanta hit a pair of threes in response. Jamal answered with one of his own, then traded layups with Nickeil Alexander-Walker and it was 13-11 Atlanta early. The Hawks added a pair of rim finishes to their early three point shooting and Denver had to regroup with a timeout. Jamal made a Jokic-assisted layup but Zaccharie Risacher had a layup of his own. Atlanta hit two more threes, on absolute fire from the field, while Nikola Jokic made a hot but missed three others. The Nuggets took another timeout down 29-15 to try to get it right on both ends. Tim Hardaway Jr. finally made Denver’s second deep shot of the night (against 6 early misses so far), but Vit Krejci hit yet another 3 for the Hawks. Atlanta went 16-for-21 in the first quarter, blowing the doors off while Denver went 10-for-28. Jokic had his shot blocked in the final seconds by Kristaps Porzingis and Denver trailed 41-23 at the end of a dismal quarter,

Hardaway made three free throws for Denver but Krejci had another deep make for Atlanta. Zeke Nnaji had a paint bucket, Krejci made another 3, and Bruce Brown answered with a transition finish. Okongwu and Jonas Valanciunas exchanged layups, Brown got a layup for Denver and Jalen Johnson traded buckets with Big Val. But unfortunately Krejci and NAW both made threes for the Hawks to put Atlanta up 21 at 57-38. Denver had a couple of bad turnovers under the basket, but Peyton Watson got a nice cut and finished a Jokic pass. Walker scored right back on them though as Denver just didn’t have the hustle or the shot-making to get close. Jamal got a steal then immediately turned it back over to give Atlanta a 23 point lead. Jokic was ice cold from everywhere, going 2-for-13 in the half and 0-for-6 from deep, and that caused big problems for the Nuggets. Spencer Jones had a paint finish, Watson hit a 3, and Jokic got himself to the line at least to make some from the charity stripe. At halftime Denver still trailed 73-54 though.

Jokic started the third quarter scoring inside which was nice to see, getting his third bucket of the game on a drive. The teams exchanged free throws, then Jokic finished a traditional 3-point play and Cam Johnson hit a 3 and the lead was cut to 11 after a 10-2 Denver run. The Nuggets came out of a Hawks timeout with a full court press, but Jalen Johnson got to the line anyway. Jokic had a great roll to the basket for a finish, then in transition Murray finished to cut it to single digits. Jamal buried an open three, Cam had a transition dunk and it was a 17-22 run and the Hawks lead was down to 77-73 just over 3 minutes into the 3rd. Jokic had another nice paint finish but Risacher had a couple of good buckets sandwiching a Watson dunk. Spencer Jones made free throws, Jalen Johnson had an Atlanta bucket, and Jokic traded paint buckets with Risacher. Jokic finally made a three-pointer for 14 points in the quarter so far, Jones hit a long two, but Daniels made a pair of buckets at the rim to keep Atlanta’s lead at 5. Jokic and Porzingis traded jumpers, then Jokic went at Porzingis to get to the line. Kristaps made a three, Watson airballed a floater, but both teams looked a little tired after that surge and exchanged missed and turnovers for a bit. Luke Kennard made a pair of free throws, Tim Hardaway Jr hit a Jokic-assisted three, but Vit Krejci answered with one in the final seconds to put Atlanta up 103-94 after 3.

Hardaway and Mouhamed Gueye traded threes to open the 4th. Cam Johnson added one of his own for Denver, but then missed a pullup the next time down. Jamal Murray and Cam Johnson hit two more threes to tie the game at 106 and force a timeout. Denver’s defense kept being stout early in the quarter as Big Val had a one-handed driving dunk and Jamal made a 15-foot pullup after a Hawks turnover and hit his free throw to boot. Bruce Brown hit a 3 to push the lead to 8, then THJ buried another on a 20-0 run for Denver. Porzingis finally stopped the run with a 3 of his own, but Cam hit another Denver three. NAW finished a layup through contact as Jokic came back in up 8 at 120-112. Murray buried a 3 off a Jokic handoff, but then both Watson and Jokic missed threes. Porzingis made free throws, Jokic finished at the rim and Porzingis came back at him from deep as did NAW to cut it to 5. Jokic banked in a shot over Kristaps, Jalen Johnson finished a drive down the lane then got a steal and finish on a bad Murray pass, but Jokic came right back with a reverse layup. NAW buried a 3 to cut it to a two-point deficit for Atlanta, Jokic hit another paint bucket, and Jalen Johnson hit a 16-footer to bring it back to just a one-bucket game with under a minute to go. Cam Johnson missed a 3, Kristaps turned the ball over as Jamal Murray got the steal and it led to two made Jokic free throws. Walker made a pair of free throws for Atlanta to cut it back to 2. The final possession had a near-Denver steal, a block by Jamal on Walker, NAW takes the 2 and Jokic got it to Jamal to run the clock out and rip this victory away 134-133 over Atlanta.

Final Thoughts

It was the worst of times, it was the best of times. The first half was as ugly as anything Denver had put together all year. Jalen Johnson had a triple-double at halftime, as Denver provided no resistance whatsoever. The Hawks shot 59% from the field in the first half, 54% from three. Vit Krejci was 4-of-5 from deep in the first 2 frames. If you’re going to give up career-best shooting numbers from everywhere on the court you are going to lose – most nights.

But this was not most nights. Jamal Murray had 12 assists in the second half, made four huge threes in the game and finished with three great defensive plays on the final possession for Atlanta alone, then finished by getting open for the long Jokic pass to ice it. Nikola Jokic put up 30 second half points, and dominated that second half with vision and aggression. Jokic said after the game that this team never gives up, and you could see from the first possession out of the break that they were more serious. This team has to find ways to be serious on defense, to get the stops that allow their offense to flourish. It wasn’t a great defensive showing even after halftime, with Denver still giving up 30 points in both the third and fourth quarters. Their offense was otherworldy though, and they got enough stops in flurries in the second half to create two big runs, one at the beginning of each quarter, that let the offense pay off. Trading blows doesn’t create momentum. Finding those stops was crucial.

Coach David Adelman said at halftime they essentially only talked about how they had 3 total fouls in the first half, which was a symptom of not playing hard enough on defense. “We have to have these defensive segments where we flip the game,” he said in the post-game presser, and that’s really what this all-world offense needs. The Nuggets don’t have the personnel and depth right now to consistently get stops throughout the game without Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun. But enough defense from either the bench or the starters can really jumpstart the offensive pieces, which they DO have. Jamal and Jokic were terrific as expected, but Cam Johnson took some nice Murray feeds and finished the play. Hardaway and Brown used the screens and got their scores. It’s not about getting every stop, it’s about getting the right stops and then taking advantage. Denver stopped turning the ball over in the second half (only 4 in the final two frames) and that combined with their defensive stints forced the difference and led to the giant comeback.

The heart of a champion still beats inside that Denver uniform – now they just need to harness that realization at home instead of just on the road. With a couple more road games still to go, though, hopefully the road winning streak can continue the rest of the week!

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Denver, CO

Report: Broncos expected to ‘make a splash’ at running back

Published

10 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Report: Broncos expected to ‘make a splash’ at running back

The Denver Broncos are in the market for a running back.

Just two days after NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Denver wants to have the running back position addressed before the draft, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported that the Broncos are “poised to make a splash” at running back during NFL free agency.

“Denver is the reason why the Jets used the franchise tag on Breece Hall rather than the transition tag, according to sources, making sure Denver wouldn’t get the opportunity to put together an offer the Jets would refuse to match,” Jones wrote for CBS Sports.

Jones said the Broncos would be an obvious potential landing spot for Kenneth Walker, and he noted that Travis Etienne could be a cheaper alternative. The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider also reported this week that Denver is expected to “closely examine” the RB market, and he name-dropped Walker, Etienne and Rico Dowdle.

The Broncos also have an in-house free agent at RB in J.K. Dobbins, who has expressed his desire to remain in Denver. The Broncos can begin negotiating with pending free agents from other clubs on March 9, but no deals can become official until the new league year begins on March 11. In-house free agents can be re-signed at any time.

Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.

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Denver, CO

Grand Junction, Palisade reach Great Eight in Denver

Published

22 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Grand Junction, Palisade reach Great Eight in Denver

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — The Class 5A Sweet 16 has arrived, and both Grand Junction and Palisade are still standing with trips to the Great Eight in Denver on the line.

At The Jungle, the No. 2 seed Grand Junction Tigers set the tone early against No. 18 Golden. Defense carried the Tigers from the opening tip as they held the Demons to nine first quarter points while scoring 16 of their own.

Grand Junction added eight points in the second quarter while Golden managed six, sending the Tigers into halftime with a nine point lead.

Golden responded in the third quarter, outscoring Grand Junction 16 to 11 to cut the deficit to five entering the fourth. The Tigers answered in the final period, attacking the rim and converting key shots to win the quarter 19 to 10. Grand Junction secured a 54 to 41 victory to protect its home court and advance to the Great Eight in Denver.

Top seeded Palisade also defended its home floor with a trip to Denver at stake. The Bulldogs opened with nine straight points to energize a packed gym, but Frederick settled in and closed the first quarter on a run to tie the game at nine.

Frederick continued to respond in the second quarter and took an eight point lead into halftime.

Palisade shifted momentum after the break. The Bulldogs tightened defensively, holding Frederick to 21 points in the second half while scoring 39 of their own. Palisade completed the comeback to advance to the Great Eight.

Colorado Mesa University Women Deliver Historic RMAC Tournament Win

In collegiate action, the top seeded Colorado Mesa University women’s basketball team defeated Colorado School of Mines 96 to 51 in the RMAC Tournament, marking the largest margin of victory in the tournament this century.

Olivia Reed-Thyne led the Mavericks with 34 points on 11 of 15 shooting, her third 30 point performance this season. Mason Rowland added 22 points and Hallie Clark contributed 10 as Colorado Mesa matched a program record with its 31st win. The Mavericks will host the semifinals Friday with a berth in the championship game at stake.

Colorado Mesa University Men Survive Overtime Thriller

The Colorado Mesa University men’s basketball team faced New Mexico Highlands University for the third time this season. The Mavericks scored 36 first half points and led by four at the break.

New Mexico Highlands shot 50 percent in the second half, received 21 bench points and outscored Colorado Mesa 43 to 39 to force a late push. With the season in the balance, Ty Allred hit a game tying 3 pointer to make it 75 and send the game to overtime. Allred scored seven points in the extra period as Colorado Mesa earned a 91 to 90 victory to advance to the next round.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.

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Denver, CO

Former Avs defenseman launches beer brand in Denver

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

While most people know beers as “cold ones,” Tyson Barrie opts for a different name.

“We’ve always just called beers chilly ones,” the former Colorado Avalanche defenseman said.

Now, Barrie hopes his moniker goes mainstream with his beer brand Chilly Ones, which made its U.S. debut weeks ago in Colorado. He plans to move to the Centennial State from his home country of Canada come fall to build it out.

So far, the beer is in about 200 businesses across the state, mostly liquor stores like Bonnie Brae and Argonaut, but also eateries such as Oskar Blues.

The light lager is available in cans at 3% alcohol by volume. The less-than-light ABV is popular in Australia and some parts of Europe, he said, but nothing serves that segment in the U.S.

Barrie also said the brand has a nonalcoholic version “in the tanks and ready to go” at Sleeping Giant Brewing Co., the Denver facility where Chilly Ones is made. He said it’s one of the only booze-free options that could “trick” him, and he expects the version to be available by April.

“If you look at all the data that we’re seeing, these two categories – the nonalc and the low – seem to be two of the only ones in the alcohol space that are growing,” Barrie said.

Chilly Ones has been available in Canada since late 2025, and he said a 4.5% to 5% edition is also in the works, though that one won’t hit the shelves for months.

“From what we can see in Canada, people question the 3%. They say it’s not enough,” he said through a grin. “Then in the U.S., people aren’t questioning it at all. They really liked a little bit less and the moderation factor to it.”

That’s why he thinks the low-carb, zero sugar, under 100 calorie drink is a perfect fit for Denver. With the city’s storied history in craft beer combined with a more conscious, active lifestyle, it’s the perfect stateside launching point for his brand, Barrie believes.

Drafted by the Avs and playing in the city from 2011 through 2019, his preexisting connections also were a selling point.

“Every occasion is a little bit different, whether you’re parenting or you’re at a concert or you’ve got to get up early or you’re having two after work and you want to drive,” he said, explaining why there will be multiple versions of the drink available.

“It’s pick your own adventure. We’re not going to judge you,” he continued. “If you want to celebrate and get absolutely hammered, we’ll give you that option too. It’s just you can do it a little bit healthier.”

The idea came to Barrie when he had “a dozen” or so chilly ones during a night with friends years ago. In his phone’s notes app, he wrote that he would one day start a beverage brand with his NHL buddies and call it his colloquial name for beer.

He was still playing in the league at the point, but in 2024, two years after, somebody from the beverage world “very serendipitously” reached out to see if Barrie would be interested in starting a wine or whiskey company.

“And I was like, ‘Yeah, I’d do a beer,’” he recalled.

He was still in the NHL playing with the Nashville Predators but nearing the end of his career. The now-34-year-old gathered several of his fellow skaters, including Avs star Nathan MacKinnon, and other career connections like Lumineers frontman Wesley Schultz, and Chilly Ones was born.

Having that post-playing career journey already laid out has been challenging but worth it, he said.

“I have a lot of friends who have retired, and you struggle with a bit of purpose and you wake up and you’re just kind of looking around, not sure what to do with yourself,” he said. “So I feel grateful. I didn’t even have any time to reset. I was just kind of thrown in the fire.”

Barrie and Chilly Ones raised an undisclosed amount from friends and family to start the brand and are in the midst of a more institutional round.

He and Chilly Ones have no plans to venture outside the state in the short-term. He said he, Chief Operating Officer Kimberley Kainth and CEO Matthew Clayton want to test the market for all three options and get feedback before expanding elsewhere.

Longmont-based Oskar Blues founder Dale Katechis is an adviser, along with White Claw and Mike’s Hard Lemonade alum Todd Anderson.

“We have a team that we really, really trust who has scaled and built products in Colorado and moved out,” Barrie said. “We want to get our feet under us in Colorado and then we’ll start to really look at who’s next.”

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