They come to bury Joker, not to praise him. The last time a line this long queued up to place wreaths on a defending champion, Winston Churchill lay in state. “They’re up-and-coming, they’ve got a bunch of great players,” Nuggets guard Reggie Jackson told reporters in advance of Saturday’s Western Conference semifinal Game 1 between Denver and the Timberwolves. “They’ve been making noise … it’s fun to see how they’ve grown. But we also know that we want to do something special over here.” The cool kids say Minnesota in six. The cool kids keep conveniently forgetting five things. 1. Michael Mal ..read more

The celebrity cameo on the early-morning bus didn’t get any less surprising after the first time. In fact, it became even more so, once Christian Braun realized it was a trend and not a one-time occurrence. Optional shootarounds are only optional for a select few. “It’s always mandatory for the first-, second-, third-year guys,” Braun said. “Guys that don’t play as much.” Starters are off the hook if they choose to prioritize rest and recovery. When the Nuggets are on the road, there’s often an 8 a.m. bus to the gym for these informal opportunities to get extra shots up. This is Braun’s second ..read more

As the Denver Nuggets enter the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs, a breakdown of their series matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves: Who has the edge? Guards: If Jamal Murray is healthy and hot, he can keep pace with any scoring guard in the NBA. But he might not be either of those things right now. Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards has welcomed these playoffs with the captivating intensity of a tornado. If you’re not strong enough to withstand his provocation, you’ll be sucked into a vortex of buckets, blocks and smack-talk. He draws his power from any perceived weakness revealed by a ..read more

Jamal Murray’s intermittent injury report appearances this season are practically a crash course in human leg anatomy. A hamstring. A knee. Both ankles. His shins. Now, a calf. None of the injuries have been severe enough to sideline him for more than three-ish weeks, but they’ve each been accompanied by a sense of foreboding, which is owed to the Nuggets’ recent playoff history with and without Murray. When he was healthy in 2023, they won a championship. When he was unavailable in 2022 due to a torn ACL, they were an easy first-round out. So continues the cycle of unease, with Murray nursing ..read more

The younger brother of Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. was arrested early Sunday morning in Missouri on investigation of driving while intoxicated. Jevon Porter, 20, was arrested at 1:31 a.m. in Boone County, Missouri, State Highway Patrol records show. Porter, who was released, also was accused of speeding. The 6-foot-11 Columbia, Missouri, native is a sophomore on the Pepperdine University basketball team. He started all 31 games his freshman year and made the all-West Coast Conference freshman team, according to his player biography. Porter was the fifth-ranked player in the state ..read more

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene after Jamal Murray hit yet another game-winner to eliminate the Los Angeles Lakers. Among the topics discussed: Jamal Murray’s postseason credentials continue to grow after the Nuggets guard hit his second game-winner in eight days. How concerned should the Nuggets be about his health? Or that his shot came and went throughout a hotly contested five-game series against the Lakers. Michael Porter Jr. was arguably the most consistent offensive threat the Nuggets had all serie ..read more

Jamal Murray made another shot. Because of a flick of a wrist, LeBron James is gone. And he took Anthony Davis with him. The Nuggets vanquished the Lakers, beating them for the 12th time in 13 games to advance to the second round of the playoffs. Denver got the win. Los Angeles got the whine. No more stamping of feet, throwing arms in the air and begging for calls. The LLLLakers are over. They have morphed into the Dallas Cowboys the past four years, more famous for their brand than their results. Now we can focus on basketball, not sideshows and news conferences. Before we dive into the Xs an ..read more

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 s ..read more

Jamal Murray was responsible for the four most important shots of the Nuggets’ first-round series. He was also responsible for a behind-the-scenes conversation more consequential than any of those shots. Peyton Watson encountered the aftermath by accident. “I think it was almost perfect timing,” he said in the locker room after Denver’s 108-106 Game 5 win to eliminate the Los Angeles Lakers. “But when I was back there getting ready for the game, just coming out of the training room, I saw Jamal right as he was leaving of Coach’s office. And I could tell — like, his eyes were even watering.” Mu ..read more

After eliminating the Los Angeles Lakers from the postseason for the second straight year, the Denver Nuggets will have to do the same to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Nuggets took down Minnesota in five game in last year’s first round. Now they meet in the second round after the T-Wolves put the finishing touches on a four-game sweep of the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night. Game 1 of the best-of-seven series between Denver and Minnesota is set for Saturday at a to-be-determined time. The Timberwolves’ sweep of the Suns marked the first time ..read more