Comment on Renck: Avs’ Val Nichushkin embraced by fans in return, but question of trust lingers

PARKER — Legend came in as a heavy favorite in Friday’s second-round Class 5A playoff game, but the Titans were met with some stiff black-and-gold resistance. No. 11 Arapahoe gave the No. 6 Titans all they could handle before Legend eked by the Warriors 24-20 at EchoPark Stadium. Arapahoe held the lead for much of the game, and then late, but senior running back Jaden Lawrence’s track speed was the differentiator. The Wyoming commit’s 21-yard touchdown run capped the Titans’ final scoring drive as they had their back to the ropes, down three points with under five minutes to play. “This was a character check,” Legend head coach Monte Thelen said.

In brief bursts Friday night at Ball Arena, a rowdy crowd told Valeri Nichushkin all is forgiven. They cheered. They clapped. And they shouted “Choo!” when he handled the puck a minute into the game. While the “open arms” proclamation from the Avs organization and teammates deserves scrutiny, there was no question the fans welcomed Big Val back into their embrace. The warm vibes practically melted the ice when the Avs scored two minutes into the game against the Washington Capitals. The entire thing feels weird.

Class 5A No. 1 Cherry Creek beat No. 17 Grandview, 38-10: Junior quarterback Brady Vodicka hooked up with junior Maxwell Lovett for a pair of TD passes in the first half, Jayden Fox opened the third quarter with a 5-yard scoring run and the Bruins (10-1) slowly pulled away to eliminate Grandview.

NEW ORLEANS — The upper deck of Smoothie King Center was almost as sparse as the Nuggets’ and Pelicans’ active rosters for their first NBA Cup game. New Orleans was missing six players to injuries, including star forward Zion Williamson. Denver was fending for the first time this season without Nikola Jokic, who didn’t travel with the team due to personal reasons, not to mention Aaron Gordon dealing with a calf strain and coach Michael Malone playing hooky. Jamal Murray’s 16 points, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals weren’t enough to overcome those absences in a 101-94 loss to the Pelicans on Friday night. “We have a great team here,” said Murray, who missed 10 of 16 shot attempts.

During a lengthy scoreless streak that nearly derailed the season down the stretch, it seemed at times the Colorado women’s soccer team couldn’t buy a break. Given a chance to extend the season in the NCAA Tournament, the Buffaloes certainly made their own breaks. And they were in the right place in the right time to take advantage of a critical defensive miscue by Georgia. Related Articles College Sports | CU Buffs vs.

NEW ORLEANS — No Nikola Jokic? No Zion Williamson? No … anybody? Yeah, this was probably one Michael Malone could afford to miss. On the precipice of tying the all-time wins record for a Nuggets head coach, Malone stayed in Denver to watch his daughter Bridget’s high school volleyball team compete in the state tournament Friday night.