Metropolitan Division Madness Gets Contenders Playoff-ready

LOS ANGELES – Driving by SoFi Stadium on an 86-degree afternoon, there are no campers filling an RV lot. Eating at Benny’s Tacos a stone’s throw from LAX, nobody is wearing yellow and blue, though a young woman dined on enchiladas draped in a Kobe Bryant sweatshirt. It gives credence to a line that has gained popularity since the franchise moved 123 miles north: There are Chargers fans, I have just never met one. Well, I did on Wednesday.

Christian Braun jinxed himself last week. Try as he might to keep the streak alive, it was bound to end eventually. On Monday night in Sacramento, Braun was ruled out with a strained lower back one hour before opening tip, snapping his run of 122 consecutive games played dating back to the 2023 playoffs. The 23-year-old shooting guard has developed into a staple of the Nuggets’ lineup on a nightly basis only two years and change into his career. “My goal is to be out there every game,” Braun said the previous Thursday, after a practice at Ball Arena.

SAN JOSE — Alexandar Georgiev was traded on a Monday and he was in net for his new team barely more than 72 hours later. It’s just a blur of logistics and text messages for anyone who gets traded in the middle of an NHL season. So much to figure out in such a short period of time. Georgiev spent two-plus seasons as the starting goaltender for the Colorado Avalanche.

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene as trade season begins in the NBA. Among the topics discussed: Zach Lavine to the Denver Nuggets … not so fast, sweetheart. Can the front office make a pitch to move enough pieces to upgrade — Or not upgrade?

Perception of the 2024-25 Nuggets is turning into a case study of optimism vs. pessimism. Are you a glass-half-full kind of person? Then when the Nuggets improved to 14-10 with their latest miracle this week in Sacramento, you probably thought of the remarkable number of clutch moments they’ve conjured in such a small fraction of this season, from a refreshing variety of sources. You probably dwelled on Jamal Murray’s game-winning step-back jumper with 8.6 seconds remaining.

FORT COLLINS — With Mountain West Conference play beginning this weekend, Tuesday’s night’s nonconference finale against Radford was Colorado State’s last chance to fine-tune some things before the grueling men’s basketball league slate starts. Despite taking a double-digit lead late in the first half, the Rams had to fend off the Highlanders in the second half, eventually coming away with a 78-68 victory at Moby Arena. CSU improved to 6-5, moving above .500 before a road trip to Nevada this weekend. “Good game tonight against a tough team,” CSU head coach Niko Medved said.