When the Nuggets woke up Nov. 20 in the morning after losing All-Star forward Paul Millsap to a wrist injury in a loss at the Lakers, they were 9-7 and tied with Portland for the fifth spot in the Western Conference, four games out of first place with 71 to play.
When they wake up today, three months later, , three games out of third place with 24 to play.
Ignore for a moment that Houston and Golden State have run away from the rest of the west with 44 wins apiece. Not much has changed for the Nuggets since Nov. 20, except that they were able to keep this playoff pace without the help one of the biggest free agent acquisitions in franchise history. And though Millsap won’t be playing tonight when Denver opens its post-all-star stretch by hosting the third-place Spurs, he did return to practice this week for a young team that almost seems fated for its first playoff berth since 2013.
Five games separate the third-place Spurs (35-24) and the 10th-place Jazz (30-28), and the Nuggets will host two teams in that window — plus the first-place Rockets — in the next five days. Buckle up.
— , The Denver Post
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What’s on tap?
- NBA: Spurs at Nuggets, 7 p.m., ALT | Preview |
- Cactus League: Diamondbacks at Rockies, 1:10 p.m. | Preview
- NCAA: CU Buffs’ spring football practice begins | Preview
- 5A Girls Hoops: No. 19 Chaparral at No. 14 Arapahoe, 7 p.m.
- 5A Girls Hoops: No. 28 Legacy at No. 5 Highlands Ranch, 7 p.m.
- 4A Girls Hoops: No. 22 Lewis-Palmer at No. 11 Centaurus, 7 p.m.
- 4A Girls Hoops: No. 24 Frederick at No. 9 Thomas Jefferson, 7 p.m.
Scoreboard
NHL: Avalanche 2, Oilers 3
| Recap
NCAA Women’s basketball: Colorado 67, (10) UCLA 73
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Must-Read
Rockies prospect Colton Welker rode a bus with the alleged Stoneman Douglas killer. He is cheering on his former school.
The 20-year-old minor league third baseman, one of the top prospects in baseball at his position, was a Rockies draft pick out of Stoneman Douglas High School just two years ago. Like the Columbine High shooting did for Denver, the killings at Stoneman Douglas suddenly made the reality of a massacre more real. Read More…
Five running backs to watch at next week’s NFL combine
It takes just once glance at last season’s playoff bracket to see the impact made by the running backs in the NFL’s 2017 draft class. Read More…
Before winning Olympic bronze, Steamboat Springs’ Arielle Gold almost quit snowboarding
In Sochi, she never got her shot. But that shoulder injury suffered during practice in Russia’s dismal halfpipe in 2014 did more than end Arielle Gold’s first Olympics. It was more than that injury — which lingers today, including dislocating her shoulder during practice a day before her bronze-medal performance — that almost pushed her off her board for good. Read More…
Quick Hits
+ In this week’s Rockies podcast, Patrick Saunders catches up with Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jon Gray, who gives his thoughts on a new nickname for the Rockies starting rotation.
+ Here are five CU Buffs’ football players with the most to prove during spring practice.
+ Did you see the Canadian hockey player’s sour reaction when receiving her silver medal?
+ճ legacy Mikaela Shiffrin should set her sights on? Hint: Itap not Michael Phelps’
+ Want to see the Denver Broncos live? That paper ticket isn’t getting you in this year.
+ Ready the curling stones. It’s USA vs. Sweden for all the marbles.
+ Lindsey Vonn came to South Korea hoping to take home an Olympic medal. But she’s leaving something even more special behind.
+ So your NCAA title was vacated. What do you do with all the trophies and banners?
By The Numbers
20
The number of years between the U.S. women’s hockey team’s Olympic gold medals.
Parting Shot
Fergie’s second chance
After Fergie’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the NBA All-Star Game wasn’t exactly well received, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox invited the singer to their national anthem audition. Read More…
Get in Touch
If you see something thatap cause for question or have a comment, thought or suggestion, email me at dboniface@denverpost.com or tweet me .
