Kurt Busch Clinches Third Straight Pole

With sincerity and a sense of humor, Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. discussed his reaction to hearing his name in trade rumors on Monday, reflecting on his career in Denver and saying the front office has told him there’s no interest in trading him at the moment. That could change, of course.

For two decades the Cuchara ski area in southern Colorado sat dormant, its former owners having packed up and left overnight. Now it’s being reborn as a county-owned ski area with a mission of inclusivity, thanks to longtime local efforts backed by state, federal and private funding. “For as much as Colorado is a ski destination, southeastern Colorado is the poorest part of the state,” said Sal Pace, a lobbyist and consultant who is largely responsible for lining up the funding.

Sean Payton’s worst enemy greets him in the misty mirror every morning for a shave, then cuts him from inside the rest of the day. If Payton ever got out of his own way, he’d rule the world. The Broncos coach needs to listen more to the voice on his play sheet — RUN IT!!!, it said at the top last Thursday, like a deranged Xwitter post — and less to the one inside his head telling him he’s better than that. “I felt we ran it real well early in the game (in the) first half,” Payton reflected earlier this week.

Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray sprained his right ankle Sunday night in New Orleans, causing him to miss Denver’s home game on Monday night against the Suns, coach Michael Malone said. Malone didn’t rule out a return for Murray on Wednesday when the Nuggets visit Phoenix for a prime-time rematch that’ll be part of the NBA’s Christmas day slate. “On the flight back, (we were) hoping that it would improve, and the swelling would go down,” Malone said.

Broncos coach Sean Payton couldn’t hold back his frustration. Last week, the Chargers ran the same play again and again, and his team couldn’t do anything to stop it. It started with wide receiver Josh Palmer running a crossing route, slipping behind linebackers Justin Strnad and Cody Barton before catching a pass from quarterback Justin Herbert, resulting in a 24-yard gain in the first quarter of Week 16’s divisional matchup.

Drelon Miller is finishing his freshman year of college in the same stadium where he wrapped up his senior year of high school. On Saturday, the 20th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes will face No. 17 BYU in the Valero Alamo Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio (5:30 p.m. MT, ABC). For Miller and a lot of his teammates, it will be somewhat of a homecoming, as 16 Buffs either grew up in Texas or went to high school in the Lone Star State.