The Denver Nuggets were without star center Nikola Jokic and coach Michael Malone for their NBA Cup opener Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.

There was a video tribute celebrating his big accomplishments on and off the court.

There's never been an era in NBA history where it’s been harder to win back-to-back titles.

Victor Wembanyama’s on-court warmup session before games when he played in France would last for about an hour.

Denver coach Michael Malone first broached the subject with his team in training camp, reminding them no NBA champion had won back-to-back titles since the Golden State Warriors did it in 2018.

The Minnesota Timberwolves advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time in two decades Sunday night when they roared back from a 20-point deficit to defeat the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets 98-90.

The Denver Nuggets couldn’t quiet an epic second-half comeback by Minnesota or the noise emanating from a boisterous Timberwolves locker room.

There are two Game 7s in the NBA on Sunday.

None of the five teams to win the NBA championship prior to Denver last year advanced past the second round of the playoffs the following season.

Anthony Edwards was seeing double everywhere he turned.

The Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets managed to fight their way back into the NBA's conference semifinals with key Game 3 victories Friday night.

Jamal Murray rebounded from a rough start to the Western Conference semifinals with 24 points to lead the Denver Nuggets on a 117-90 romp in Game 3 that made the Minnesota Timberwolves the last team in the NBA to lose in this postseason.

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone says he reminded his team they are the defending champions and issued a challenge to both act like it and play like it.

Another dominant performance by the Minnesota Timberwolves has the reigning but reeling NBA champion Denver Nuggets on the cusp of a stunning early exit from the playoffs.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray lost his cool on the bench and tossed a heat pack onto the court.

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone says it's about time his team snaps out of its slow starts.

After having knee surgery, Minnesota coach Chris Finch was in the second row of the bench for Game 1 of a second-round series with Denver on Saturday night.

The Denver Nuggets needed just five games to dispatch the Los Angeles Lakers from the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

Denver is one win from returning to Round 2.

Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid are the NBA’s main men in the middle, the two centers combining for the last three MVP awards in the regular season with perhaps another coming soon.

Nikola Jokic had 32 points and 12 rebounds, and the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets powered past LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 114-103 in their Western Conference playoff opener.

Michael Porter Jr.'s teammates on the Denver Nuggets say their starting forward seems to be handling his family's troubles well as the team heads into the playoffs.

There’s a 64-win team in Boston that ran away with the league’s best record.

Victor Wembanyama's rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs is coming to an end.

Contrary to popular belief, there has been some defense played in the NBA this season.

Nikola Jokic scored 31 points and the Denver Nuggets beat San Antonio 117-106 on Friday night in a game played in the Texas capital as the Spurs drew a record crowd in their bid to broaden their regional fan base.

LeBron James reached 40,000 points Saturday night, still going strong in his 21st NBA season as he tries to put the career scoring record out of reach.

Nikola Jokic had 26 points and 16 rebounds but was denied his rematch with fellow MVP contender Joel Embiid when the Denver Nuggets fended off the short-handed but gritty Philadelphia 76ers 111-105.

A person with knowledge of the situation says Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon needed 21 stitches after suffering lacerations to his face and right hand while being bitten by a family dog on Christmas.

Jamal Murray is edging closer to a return from a hamstring injury and will join the Denver Nuggets on their upcoming five-game trip.

The Denver Nuggets have extended the contract of coach Michael Malone after he guided the franchise to its first NBA title, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

Damian Lillard went to Milwaukee, Bradley Beal went to Phoenix, Jrue Holiday ended up in Boston and Chris Paul ended up with Golden State.

Brendan Malone, father of Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone and champion of ‘The Jordan Rules’ that helped the Detroit Pistons beat the Chicago Bulls on the way to two championships, has died at 81.

With a new “player participation policy,” the NBA has made it clear that healthy players should be on the court.

Bruce Brown is set to become a free agent after declining his $6.8 million player option with the NBA-champion Denver Nuggets.

This may be just the start for the Denver Nuggets.

Everything from the history books to the way they’ve played through most of the postseason suggests the Denver Nuggets are on the verge of capturing their first NBA title in 47 years in the league.

Jimmy Butler showed up in plush blue slippers Thursday for what was officially called practice.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray became the first teammates in NBA Finals history to both record triple-doubles, and Denver’s two stars made sure the Nuggets reclaimed the lead in the series by beating the Miami Heat 109-94 in Game 3 on Wednesday night.

Erik Spoelstra has preached about the value of adversity for months, not shying away from saying that it helped the Miami Heat get to these NBA Finals.

It was a popular theme before the NBA Finals started — about how the Nuggets, an up-tempo team with fresh legs that could exploit the mile-high altitude in Denver, would have a good chance to wear down the Miami Heat.

Nuggets rookie Christian Braun gets high praise from coach Michael Malone, and his star teammates Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray also rave about the rookie.

For the Miami Heat, shooting at Denver’s 5,280 feet of mile-high altitude during Game 1 of the NBA Finals wasn’t a problem.

The Denver Nuggets are glad they get to stay in Denver for the start of their first NBA Finals appearance but that doesn't mean they're taking the Miami Heat lightly.

Cancel that flight plan, Denver.

The Denver Nuggets are on the brink of the first NBA Finals trip in franchise history after winning the first three games of the Western Conference finals over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers have to feel good about avoiding a blowout at Denver in the opener of the Western Conference finals.

The Denver Nuggets are rolling along behind their dynamic duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.

Miami’s Erik Spoelstra and Denver’s Michael Malone are two of the four NBA coaches to have spent at least eight years with their current team.

The Denver Nuggets aren't concerned about their horrendous history against the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA playoffs as they begin their Western Conference finals against L.

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone said it was around December when he thought this could be a championship-caliber team.

The home team has won every game in the second-round series between the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns.

The top-seeded Denver Nuggets eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 112-109 win in Game 5 of their playoff series at Ball Arena on Tuesday night.

The Denver Nuggets are the league’s best shooting team with a clean bill of health and the two-time reigning NBA MVP in Nikola Jokic.

Nikola Jokic had his seventh career triple-double in the playoffs with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists as the Denver Nuggets fended off the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-111 to take a 3-0 lead in their first-round NBA playoff series.

The NBA has an ongoing battle with load management and finding ways to optimize player health, performance and availability.

The 72nd NBA All-Star Game takes place Sunday night in Salt Lake City.

Michael Malone might coach Nikola Jokic in the All-Star Game.

The rim was bent, nobody seemed to know how to fix it and for 35 minutes Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets players struggled to stay warm in a bizarre scene that left Celtics star Jaylen Brown fuming.

Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic is quietly turning in another NBA MVP-worthy season.

Nikola Jokic had 32 points and 12 rebounds, Jamal Murray scored a season-high 31 and the Denver Nuggets defeated the Houston Rockets 129-113.

Vlatko Cancar hit a buzzer-beater from near midcourt when the final 2 seconds of the first half were replayed after the break, and the outmanned Denver Nuggets went on to beat the Dallas Mavericks 98-97.

Nikola Jokic had 31 points and 13 rebounds, Jamal Murray hit a big 3-pointer and the Denver Nuggets kept the Los Angeles Lakers winless with a 110-99 victory Wednesday night.

Nikola Jokic had a triple-double of 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists playing with a sore right wrist he had taped, and the Denver Nuggets beat Golden State 128-123 in a rematch of the teams’ first-round playoff series won by the Warriors in five games on their way to the title.

A person with knowledge of the negotiations says the Denver Nuggets have agreed to a deal that would send guards Will Barton and Monte Morris to the Washington Wizards for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith.

A person familiar with the decision says the Sacramento Kings have agreed to hire Golden State assistant Mike Brown as their head coach.

The Denver Nuggets avoided a sweep at the hands of the Golden State Warriors with a 126-121 win Sunday to send the series back to San Francisco for Game 5.

Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole scored 27 points each, Klay Thompson made six 3-pointers on his way to 26 points and the Golden State Warriors muscled past the Denver Nuggets 118-113 on Thursday night to take a 3-0 lead in the playoff series.

Stephen Curry came off the bench for a second straight game and showed he’s healthy at last, scoring 34 points to lead the Golden State Warriors past the Denver Nuggets 126-106 for a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series.

Stephen Curry will play but not start for Golden State in Game 1 of the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets.

Chris Paul returned from a broken right wrist to help the Phoenix Suns wrap up the top seed in the NBA playoffs with a 140-130 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.

Nikola Jokic had 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 114-110 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Nikola Jokic had 38 points, 18 rebounds and seven assists, and the Denver Nuggets held on after blowing an 18-point lead and beat the Sacramento Kings 106-100.

The basic mantra for all NBA teams this season should be just get into the playoffs.

Another NBA head coach has entered the league's health and safety protocols.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored a season-high 36 points and the Utah Jazz stretched their road winning streak to 10 games by beating the Denver Nuggets 115-109.

The NBA postponed Golden State's game with Denver on Thursday, the same day that Philadelphia’s Doc Rivers and Denver’s Michael Malone entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

The fallout from the scuffle between reigning MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Markieff Morris from the Miami Heat continues.

The Western Conference has the best regular season team from last year in Utah.

The Washington Wizards have hired Wes Unseld Jr. as their coach.

Devin Booker and Chris Paul led the Phoenix Suns to a four-game sweep of the Denver Nuggets who lost MVP Nikola Jokic to an ejection in their 125-118 loss Sunday.

The Denver Nuggets face a daunting 3-0 deficit in their second-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns.

Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns spoiled Nikola Jokic’s MVP celebration with a 116-102 victory over Denver on Friday night in Game 3 that put “The Joker” and the rest of the reeling Nuggets on the brink of a quick second-round exit.

Nikola Jokic was revealed Tuesday as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for 2020-21, making him by far the lowest draft pick ever to win the award.

Tom Thibodeau got the New York Knicks back to the playoffs, guiding the team to its second-best record in 20 years.

The NBA will have a new champion.

Nikola Jokic had 36 points and the Denver Nuggets eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers in six games with a 126-115 victory Thursday night.

Nikola Jokic scored 38 points to overcome a 3-point shooting barrage from Damian Lillard and the Denver Nuggets evened the first-round series by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 128-109 in a chippy Game 2.

Damian Lillard scored 34 points and led Portland’s 3-point barrage that sparked the Trail Blazers’ 123-109 win over the Denver Nuggets in the opener of their first-round playoff series Saturday night.

Stephen Curry scored 32 points, Draymond Green had 19 assists and 12 rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors welcomed back fans for the first time since the pandemic began by beating the Denver Nuggets 118-97.

Nikola Jokic scored 47 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer late in the second overtime, and the Denver Nuggets rallied to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 139-137.

The NBA says the rate of players needing to miss games because of injuries is down from last season and within the normal range for what the league has seen over the last five seasons.

The Denver Nuggets will be without Jamal Murray indefinitely after the dynamic point guard suffered a torn ACL in his left knee.

Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets held off the San Antonio Spurs for a 121-119 win when DeMar DeRozan’s shot attempt at the buzzer rolled out.

Denver Nuggets' Jamal Murray (27) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers' Cedi Osman (16) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 19, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)CLEVELAND – Not himself of late, Jamal Murray got a lecture from Nuggets coach Michael Malone about being more aggressive and not passing up open shots. Following the game, Murray was unaware that he had done something unique. “With the exception of Murray, we took some steps in the right direction,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. They made their first 12 shots, opened a 22-point lead in the second half and then let Murray close out the Cavs.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)DENVER – The sight of Anthony Davis limping off the court was hard for the Los Angeles Lakers to shake. Nikola Jokic recorded his sixth triple-double of the season and the Denver Nuggets beat the Lakers 122-105 on Sunday night in a game in which Davis re-aggravated his sore right Achilles. Now, the only thought for the Lakers is the result of Davis' MRI on Monday for what the team called a strain. For his big game, Jokic credited a new mindset. Entering the game, Davis was questionable with what was described as right Achilles tendinosis.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, right, moves to the rim as Denver Nuggets forward JaMychal Green defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, in Denver. Middleton had 29 points and a career-high 12 assists, Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and the Milwaukee Bucks won their fifth straight game by beating the Denver Nuggets 125-112 on Monday night. “We still find ourselves trying to figure out how to be a team that plays a lot better in the second half,” Malone said. “We’ve lost three in a row because we haven’t defended anybody.”TIP-INSBucks: The Bucks outrebounded the Nuggets 50-38. “Hope that he's going to be well.”MAIN ATTRACTIONAsked about the marquee matchup between Jokic and Antetokounmpo, Malone feigned hurt feelings.

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry instructs teammates during an offensive possession in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic were part of history Saturday. The NBA had two 50-point scorers in losing efforts on the same day for only the third time. Jokic scored 50 points in Denver’s loss to Sacramento, and Curry scored 57 points as Golden State fell in Dallas. There have been five 50-point efforts in the NBA so far this season, including Curry’s season-high, 62-point in the win over Portland.

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)NEW YORK – Kevin Durant had 34 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, Bruce Brown made a huge contribution while starting for the absent Kyrie Irving, and the Brooklyn Nets rallied from 18 down to beat the Denver Nuggets 122-116 on Tuesday night. Durant followed with Brooklyn's next six points, including a 3-pointer that essentially put it away at 120-113 with 27 seconds to play. They want to come out and compete, and everybody came with it tonight, especially in the second half,” Durant said. Nets: Before the game, coach Steve Nash wasn't sure if Durant would play Wednesday at New York. “We have to judge these things day to day and moment to moment.” Durant said afterward he planned to play.

Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul, right, looks for a shot over Denver Nuggets guard Facundo Campazzo during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, in Denver. Moments like this are precisely why the Suns acquired Paul in a deal with Oklahoma City. “Him being able to knock down shots, and the ability and will to take those shots, is huge for us,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. But on the advice of Paul, Williams decided to challenge the play. The Denver big man is posting big numbers but his production isn’t translating into wins as the Nuggets fell to 1-4.