Denver, CO
When Nuggets struggled to find offense against Lakers, Michael Porter Jr. delivered: “I’ve done that my whole career”
Michael Porter Jr. didn’t want the Nuggets to go back to Los Angeles for Game 6 of their Western Conference playoff series. He said it might’ve been spooky if they did.
So on Monday night when Denver faced a third-quarter deficit against the Lakers, Porter took it upon himself to make sure his team wasn’t preparing for another plane ride.
Down by four points, Porter drove to the rim for a layup. Moments later, he had the ultimate green light, catching a pass from Nikola Jokic and draining a corner 3-pointer that cut Denver’s deficit to one.
Jamal Murray’s game-winning jumper secured Denver a spot in the second round and continued the Nuggets’ dominance over Los Angeles. But Porter’s impressive shooting effort, which had been on display throughout the series, helped set Murray up to be the hero in the 108-106 victory in Game 5.
“I was knocking down shot (after) shot. I’ve done that my whole career,” Porter said.
As Denver struggled to find offense in the first round against the Lakers, Porter was a model of consistency. He averaged 22.8 points per game while shooting over 50% from the floor.
Against Los Angeles in Game 5, he scored 26 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Not only was he a sniper from the 3-point line, he attacked the rim and showcased his entire offensive bag.
“Michael Porter’s offense in this series was incredible,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. “Buckets were hard to come by but Michael hit some timely shots. And when he didn’t have his shot, he was able to get downhill and get pressure on the rim.”
Whenever the Nuggets struggled or were in a tight situation, they turned to Porter.
Denver was down by six in the first quarter when Porter’s 3-pointer ignited a 10-0 scoring run that gave the Nuggets a four-point lead at the end of the frame.
In the third quarter, as the Lakers attempted to grow a three-point halftime lead, Porter scored 12 points to push Denver ahead. With 1:35 left in the third, Aaron Gordon found Porter wide-open on the corner, where he buried a 3-pointer to give Denver a 74-69 lead.
In the fourth quarter when Lakers guard Austin Reaves scored a go-ahead basket, Porter answered by knocking down his fifth 3-pointer on the other end.
“Every time we needed a big shot (or) went on a drought, he was there,” Gordon said. “(He’s) so solid.”
The Nuggets’ two-man game of Murray and Jokic has been a driving force of their success. But in Denver’s quest to repeat as champions, it might require Porter to continue being a microwave scorer.
Up next is a second-round series against the Timberwolves, one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. Porter shot 46% from the floor and 38.1% from deep in four games against Minnesota during the regular season. His steady performance against the Lakers offers hope he’s ready to rise to the challenge.
“He settled us (down) all series long,” Gordon said.
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Denver, CO
How Atlanta Falcons can Attack Denver Broncos Defense
The Atlanta Falcons head west with their collective feathers between their tails after a rough Saints loss. However, it’s time to lock in on the Denver Broncos defense. Surprisingly, a team coached by an offensive-minded coach in Sean Payton actually deploys a balanced defense at all three levels.
The Broncos have the No. 4 scoring defense and the No. 5 overall defense in the NFL heading into Week 11. That unit is a big reason why Denver is a surprising 5-5 with a rookie quarterback and an NFL-high $82 million in dead money on their salary cap.
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The Falcons need to leave Colorado, avoiding a two-game slide, heading into late-November. On paper, Atlanta can match up well with Denver. Now, let’s see how that could look on the field on Sunday.
Hit the Boundary
The Broncos utilize the 3-4. Vance Joseph, the defensive coordinator/former head coach wants to disrupt at all costs. He believes in heavy blitzing and man coverage behind it. As aggressive as you will find, Denver will throw caution at the wind and get upfield. The stats bear that out as they rank in the top ten league wide in several defensive categories including No. 2 in sacks.
The outside linebackers leave the sideline-to-sideline pursuit to the inside ‘backers. The edge rushers, Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper want to bend the corner, leaving the spots they vacate empty. As a result, swing passes to Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier force matchups versus Justin Strnad and Cody Barton.
Both Strnad and Barton play well in space but lack the explosion to prevent the Atlanta backs from gaining the perimeter. Meanwhile, faking a jet sweep will draw the defense away from the far side of the first few yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Misdirection could help Atlanta open up the offense early.
Safety Unconcerned
For as stellar as cornerbacks Pat Surtain and Riley Moss played so far in 2024, the same does not apply to safeties P.J. Locke and Brandon Jones in pass coverage. Jones has replaced Justin Simmons well and leads the team in tackles, but he’s not as strong against the pass (when the Broncos aren’t sacking quarterbacks). Tight end Kyle Pitts in games like this, must see the majority of the targets not intended for the running backs.
Intermittently, Pitts shows the skillset that made Atlanta select him in the first place. Too often, he vanishes into thin air. Now, against a team with strong corners but safeties and linebackers that allow roughly seventy percent of opponent targets completed, the best answer remains the simplest.
Allowing Pitts to climb the route tree in the intermediate to deep areas benefits the Falcons. On top of that, using the crossing routes to pick or wash the defender away will work as well.
Overview
Make no mistake, the Atlanta Falcons will line up versus a top-10 defense in the Denver Broncos. This is the best defense, by some distance, that they will have played since Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Yet, holes exists and prosperity will arise all over the field. Granted, Denver thrives against the run and possesses two excellent corners on the outside.
Yet, a veteran like Kirk Cousins can find a seam, a sliver of daylight to move the ball. While this may not end up a high scoring affair, the Falcons possess the talent to not only succeed but win the game.
Provided that they do not fall prey to playing into the Broncos; strengths, Atlanta can escape with a quality road win.
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Denver, CO
Longtime Denver newspaper columnist Bill Husted dies at age 76
Denver Press Club Hall of Famer Bill Husted died over the weekend after a battle with cancer.
Husted wrote newspaper columns for both the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post over his long journalism career. He also appeared for a time on CBS Colorado a few decades ago when the TV station was News4. He was an on-the-town commentator.
He first appeared in print in the Mile High City in the 80s and wrote articles into the 2010s.
In his obituary in the Denver Post, writer John Wenzel reports Husted died at his Colorado home in hospice care.
Denver, CO
Delta plane safely lands in Denver with visible damage to its nose
DENVER — A Delta plane had visible damage to its nose from a mechanical issue, but landed safely at its destination in Denver on Monday, the airline confirmed.
An Airbus A320 carrying 148 customers and six crew members — DL1648 — took off from Detroit around 12:45 p.m. Monday and landed just after 1:30 p.m.
“Crews received an indication of a mechanical issue in the nose of the aircraft,” according to a statement Delta sent to Denver7. “The flight landed safely and taxied to the gate without incident. Our maintenance crews are inspecting the aircraft. We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel.”
Nobody was injured, Delta said. The aircraft will be repaired overnight.
A new aircraft, an Airbus A319, will fly customers who are on flight DL2362 to Salt Lake City from Denver on Monday evening. That flight has been delayed by four and a half hours, Delta said.
Denver7 is working to learn more about what caused damage to the front of the plane.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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