thedenverpost--2020-08-31--Kiszla: Nuggets’ Jamal Murray scores 50, grieves for Black lives lost and lifts spirit of city in ne

Kiszla: Nuggets’ Jamal Murray scores 50, grieves for Black lives lost and lifts spirit of city in need of every reason to smile we can get

After scoring 50 points to save the Nuggets ’ season , Jamal Murray felt the weight , so heavy it knocked him to his knees as he walked toward the locker room after Denver ’ s 119-107 playoff victory against Utah .
Wearing sneakers dedicated to Black lives lost , Murray is doing the stuff of NBA legends .
His 142 points during this current , spectacular three-game span against the Jazz is a postseason scoring binge only surpassed in league history by Jerry West and Michael Jordan .
Hop in the car alongside players known as The Logo and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with basketball loyalty .
But what transcends sport are the tears never far from Murray ’ s eyes , especially when the young Nuggets point guard gets misty talking about the two faces painted on his shoes , faces that serve as a stark reminder of violent deaths suffered by Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in encounters with police .
“ These shoes give me life .
Even though these people are gone , they give me life .
They help me find the strength to keep fighting , ” Murray said Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TNT In front of our eyes , after a long week when the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin caused NBA players in the Florida bubble to pause and debate whether this was the time to be playing games , Murray has risen to the occasion , both on and off the court , growing as an athlete and a man in front of our eyes .
RELATED : Keeler : Learn his name , Shaq .
That ’ s Jamal M-U-R-R-A-Y .
And he ’ s got the Nuggets on the verge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only embodied the fighting spirit of a Nuggets team that could ’ ve easily quit when down 3-1 in this best-of-seven series .
Murray also has offered inspiration to a state that needs every reason to smile we can get , as wildfires rage in the mountains and small Denver businesses fight to survive in 2020 , four digits we sometimes feel have been transformed into a four-letter word never far from our lips .
Our sports heroes feel the same weight we do .
Yes , they are blessed by money and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is gratefu .
But he is also bestowed with grace rare in a 23-year-old man .
His empathy is what makes Murray special beyond the ability to shoot a jumper with accuracy that makes him The Blue Arrow , a nickname befitting an emerging basketball hero .
In many ways , however , Murray reveals himself to be not so very different than you or me .
His heart beats with the same love as a mother who grieves for a daughter shot dead in her apartment .
His will to win echoes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for nothing more than to work again at a restaurant shuttered during the pandemic .
“ It ’ s your life , ” said Murray , thoughts drifiting to Blake , who now must fight the unknown of paralysis in a hospital bed after being shot seven times in the back .
“ Imagine a father , son , brother being shot seven times in front of his kids .
Imagine that.
” RELATED : Jamal Murray gives emotional post-game interview after sending Nuggets to Game 7 : “ We found something we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not pretend to be as courageous as an ICU nurse tending to COVID-19 patients or think he ’ s more committed to his beliefs than protestors crying for justice in the streets of cities throughout America .
He understands you ’ re weary , because he has felt the same emotional fatigue , a byproduct of growing up Black in a world where all men are not treated equally , depending on the color of their skin or ethnic background .
“ We ’ ve been fighting this fight for a long time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re tired of being tired.
” For those keeping score at home , Murray has tallied 50 , 42 and 50 points again during his most recent three games in the NBA bubble .
Dallas guard Luka Doncic might be the league ’ s next big thing .
But I not so humbly submit a crazy idea first espoused last week : Murray has been every bit as good , if not more clutch , than Luka in the early stages of these playoffs , while also carrying the weight of Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I use those shoes as extra motivation to will myself to fight , win or lose , ” Murray said .
Basketball is not bigger than life .
It is life , in many of the basic ways that matter most .
It ’ s pushing back the covers and rolling out of bed in the morning after another tough week .
It ’ s summoning the stubborn refusal to let your teammates quit , then taking dead-solid aim with your blue arrow to make sure your team gets to play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a struggle for any of us , especially in 2020 .
But view this struggle as a gift , and a basketball player can carry a city on his shoulders , if only for one night .
On this hot August night during the toughest year we ever hope to know , Murray ’ s gift was to make the net sing with 50 points that lit up smiles as bright as stars twinkling over the Rocky Mountains .

After scoring 50 points to save the Nuggets’ season, Jamal Murray felt the weight, so heavy it knocked him to his knees as he walked toward the locker room after Denver’s 119-107 playoff victory against Utah.
Wearing sneakers dedicated to Black lives lost, Murray is doing the stuff of NBA legends. His 142 points during this current, spectacular three-game span against the Jazz is a postseason scoring binge only surpassed in league history by Jerry West and Michael Jordan. Hop in the car alongside players known as The Logo and Air Jordan? You’re riding with basketball loyalty.
But what transcends sport are the tears never far from Murray’s eyes, especially when the young Nuggets point guard gets misty talking about the two faces painted on his shoes, faces that serve as a stark reminder of violent deaths suffered by Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in encounters with police.
“These shoes give me life. Even though these people are gone, they give me life. They help me find the strength to keep fighting,” Murray said Sunday, during an emotional postgame interview with TNT.
In front of our eyes, after a long week when the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin caused NBA players in the Florida bubble to pause and debate whether this was the time to be playing games, Murray has risen to the occasion, both on and off the court, growing as an athlete and a man in front of our eyes.
RELATED: Keeler: Learn his name, Shaq. That’s Jamal M-U-R-R-A-Y. And he’s got the Nuggets on the verge of making history.
He has not only embodied the fighting spirit of a Nuggets team that could’ve easily quit when down 3-1 in this best-of-seven series. Murray also has offered inspiration to a state that needs every reason to smile we can get. Murray is a reason to stand up and cheer, even as wildfires rage in the mountains and small Denver businesses fight to survive in 2020, four digits transformed into a four-letter word muttered under our breath.
Our sports heroes feel the same weight we do. Yes, they are blessed by money and fame. For it all, Murray is grateful. But he is also bestowed with grace rare in a 23-year-old man. His empathy is what makes Murray special beyond the ability to shoot a jumper with accuracy that makes him The Blue Arrow, a nickname befitting an emerging basketball hero.
In many ways, however, Murray reveals himself to be not so very different than you or me. We are Murray. And he is us. His heart beats with the same love as a mother who grieves for a daughter shot dead in her apartment. His will to win echoes the yearning of a waiter who wants for nothing more than to work again at a restaurant shuttered during the pandemic.
“It’s your life,” said Murray, thoughts drifiting to Blake, who now must fight the unknown of paralysis in a hospital bed after being shot seven times in the back. “Imagine a father, son, brother being shot seven times in front of his kids. Imagine that.”
RELATED: Jamal Murray gives emotional post-game interview after sending Nuggets to Game 7: “We found something we’re fighting for”
Murray does not pretend to be as courageous as an ICU nurse tending to COVID-19 patients or think he’s more committed to his beliefs than protestors crying for justice in the streets of cities throughout America. He understands you’re weary, because he has felt the same emotional fatigue, a byproduct of growing up Black in a world where all men are not treated equally, depending on the color of their skin or ethnic background.
“We’ve been fighting this fight for a long time,” Murray said. “We’re tired of being tired.”
For those keeping score at home, Murray has tallied 50, 42 and 50 points again during his most recent three games in the NBA bubble.
Dallas guard Luka Doncic might be the league’s next big thing. But I not so humbly submit a crazy idea first espoused last week: Murray has been every bit as good, if not more clutch, than Luka in the early stages of these playoffs, while also carrying the weight of Black lives lost every step of the way.
“I use those shoes as extra motivation to will myself to fight, win or lose,” Murray said.
Basketball is not bigger than life. It is life, in many of the basic ways that matter most. It’s pushing back the covers and rolling out of bed in the morning after another tough week. It’s summoning the stubborn refusal to let your teammates lose, then taking dead-solid aim with your blue arrow.
“Life is a weird thing,” Murray said.
Yes, life can be a struggle for any of us, especially in 2020.
But view this struggle as a gift, and a basketball player can carry a city on his shoulders, if only for one night.
On this warm August night during the toughest year we ever hope to know, Murray’s gift was to make the net sing with 50 points that lit up smiles as bright as stars twinkling over the Rocky Mountains.


thedenverpost--2020-08-31--Low staffing at HealthOne hospitals in metro Denver contributed to patient death, preventable harm

A patient at North Suburban Medical Center died this spring after no one was available to change the battery on a machine measuring blood oxygen levels , in what employees and inspection records reveal is only the most extreme example of dangerous understaffing of HealthOne hospitals in metro Denver .
Five nurses and a doctor who ’ ve worked at North Suburban and two other Denver-area hospitals owned by HealthOne told The Denver Post they were understaffed , leading in some cases to an increase in preventable pressure sores and infections , and a failure to regularly provide basic hygiene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they all spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their current jobs or job prospects .
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment inspection records also showed North Suburban , in Thornton , and a fourth HealthOne hospital , The Medical Center of Aurora , had been cited for insufficient care because of low staffing .
Those citations typically don ’ t result in penalties if a hospital corrects the issue .
The patient who died at North Suburban , who was not identified in a state inspection report , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He or she was hooked up to a device called a pulse oximeter , which measures whether the blood has enough oxygen .
If a patient ’ s oxygen levels are too low , it ’ s important to quickly increase oxygen flow or place the patient on a ventilator , to prevent brain damage .
When an oximeter stops working , North Suburban ’ s procedure is for the technician to alert a nurse , then reach out to another nurse if the problem isn ’ t fixed within minutes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurse the technician called first was dealing with a patient who needed close watching due to alcohol withdrawal , and was further delayed because the withdrawal patient had symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and she had to safely remove all her protective equipment before moving on to other rooms .
The technician didn ’ t realize no one had fixed the oxygen monitor for more than half an hour , because she was busy with 46 other patients .
After she made a second call , the nurse didn ’ t arrive for another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was too late .
The patient wasn ’ t breathing , and was declared dead after resuscitation attempts failed , according to the state inspection report .
Another technician told inspectors she had reported she couldn ’ t safely monitor as many as 50 patients , as she was often asked to do , but nothing changed .
The nurse who couldn ’ t get there in time told inspectors that when she was asked what had happened to cause the patient ’ s death , she told hospital leadership that insufficient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded , she said .
HealthOne ’ s staffing levels are appropriate , and multiple hospitals have been recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and hospital ranker Leapfrog Group for quality care , said Stephanie Sullivan , assistant vice president of media relations and video content for HCA Healthcare , which owns the HealthOne hospitals .
HCA declined an interview request from The Post , instead answering some questions via emailed statements .
“ HealthONE is proud of our long-standing commitment to providing the highest quality patient care , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are appropriate and consistent with national standards and also reflect provider skill mix and patient acuity.
” All HealthOne hospitals thoroughly review what led up to any “ unintended event , ” such as a patient ’ s unexpected death , and determine whether any changes are needed , Sullivan said .
“ Paramount across our entire HealthONE system is providing the highest quality care to every patient , every time , ” she said .
Mistakes causing harm to patients aren ’ t unheard of : a patient also died at Castle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2019 , and patients didn ’ t always receive baths and hygiene care at Post-Acute Medical Specialty Hospital in Denver .
But other Denver-area facilities ’ mistakes weren ’ t attributed to insufficient staff , and state inspection reports didn ’ t show any sign employees had raised alarms fruitlessly .
A doctor who works at North Suburban told The Post that patients have developed more preventable pressure sores and infections in recent months because no one is available to turn them in bed or clean their catheters as often as needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ onto floors by deploying paramedics and new nurses who can help with running for supplies , the doctor said , but they aren ’ t experienced enough for complex intensive-care work .
Even things that sound simple , like turning patients , require multiple people and a great deal of care because the patients are hooked up to so many machines , he said .
That ’ s a particular problem for patients who have the new coronavirus , who seem to do better on their stomachs , where they can use their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A “ prone ” patient needs careful monitoring , because you can ’ t just glance in the door to see if a tube has come loose or if the patient is showing signs of distress , he said .
“ You don ’ t want to prone somebody unless you have the nursing ratio to keep them safe , ” he said .
Hospitals across the country laid off or furloughed staff this spring , as states faced with COVID-19 ordered them to stop the non-emergency services that account for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenue .
The nurses who spoke to The Post said their hospitals haven ’ t called back staff , even as the number of patients started to climb again once elective surgeries resumed .
Hospitals have moved staff around from units and clinics that offered elective services to those that needed more staff due to COVID-19 , HCA ’ s Sullivan said .
A nurse at Presbyterian/St .
Luke ’ s Medical Center in Denver said no one has been hurt due to low staffing on her unit , but they aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of care .
“ Some things get missed , like showers and turning patients so they don ’ t get pressure injuries , ” she said .
Employees were told the hospital couldn ’ t bring in extra help from staffing agencies because of budget struggles , the St. Luke ’ s nurse said .
While nearly all hospitals have lost significant revenue due to canceled non-emergency surgeries , HCA reported $ 1.1 billion in profit in the second quarter , much of it due to federal payments to compensate hospitals for pandemic-related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times .
The decision not to bring in contract labor was based on reduced need as the hospitals cared for fewer patients , and hospitals likely will begin using more temporary nurses as elective procedures increase , Sullivan said .
Colorado doesn ’ t have minimum staffing ratios for hospitals , and there ’ s no one right number of patients per nurse , said Julie Lonborg , senior vice president of communications and media relations for the Colorado Hospital Association .
The ratio depends on how much care patients need , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ routine tasks , she said .
Federal inspectors also don ’ t cite a specific standard , but consider a unit understaffed when the hospital can ’ t provide all needed care in a reasonable amount of time .
Lonborg said she was surprised to hear reports of short staffing , when many hospitals had to reduce staff hours because of the pandemic .
“ Most ( hospitals ) are also trying to ensure that they can avoid furloughs and layoffs and are trying to ensure that their staff have the ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Staffing shortages weren ’ t a big problem when Presbyterian/St .
Luke ’ s called off elective procedures , freeing up nurses who worked in the surgical unit and reducing the overall number of patients needing care , the nurse who works there said .
Since they ’ ve restarted , however , patients are having to wait longer for help , which is a problem for those who need assistance with eating or getting to the bathroom , she said .
“ It ’ s frustrating when I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient and I hear that call light going off , ” she said .
“ Sometimes the food ’ s sitting there for an hour before there ’ s someone who can feed them.
” A nurse who works in a HealthOne rehab unit said the low staffing is contributing to burnout .
Nurses are working beyond their normal hours to take care of all the patient care and documentation they have to do , because there ’ s no guarantee the next shift will have time to do it , she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works at not be identified .
“ It makes a 12-hour day into a 13- or 14-hour day , ” she said .
“ If you have another 12-hour shift the next day , you ’ re exhausted.
” Low staffing hasn ’ t only been a problem since COVID-19 arrived in Colorado .
An inspection in January had noted that patients on North Suburban ’ s medical/surgical unit sometimes waited 40 minutes or longer for help when they activated their call lights , and some didn ’ t receive regular hygiene care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A nurse working on that unit told inspectors it was best to answer within five minutes , but that wasn ’ t possible because there weren ’ t enough nursing assistants , and the charge nurses who were supposed to oversee operations and help as needed couldn ’ t step in because they were responsible for their own patients .
The Medical Center of Aurora also was cited , in June 2016 , because nurses assigned to cover 11 to 14 patients in the behavioral health unit didn ’ t give medications on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could have seizures .
In an interview with inspectors , one of the nurses said their unit was frequently short-staffed and couldn ’ t give out all medications on schedule .
A nurse who is employed by a staffing agency but typically works in HCA facilities said she had worked on short-staffed units , both before and after the pandemic hit .
Once , she was working on a cardiac floor that was short-staffed , which created a major problem when one patient temporarily stopped breathing and another ’ s blood pressure dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some complications will happen even with ideal care , problems are more likely if nurses are running from room to room and don ’ t have time to watch closely for signs a patient may be taking a turn for the worse , she said .
“ Things like that could have been prevented , ” she said .
“ A lot of the floors are short-staffed to begin with , and now it ’ s even worse.
” A nurse who until recently worked at Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital ’ s Denver unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue for some time , but said it got worse after the pandemic hit .
Many of the patients on her unit had recently undergone spinal surgery and need help sitting up or walking without injuring themselves , so it ’ s risky to let their call lights go unanswered for a long time , she said .
Normally , she could care for four patients during the day and five at night , the former Spalding nurse said .
For the last few months , she ’ d been assigned six patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s particularly difficult because patients tend to get confused at night and may try to get up , even if they aren ’ t strong enough , she said .
Hospital administration would send emails emphasizing patient safety whenever someone fell , the nurse said , but the concern rang hollow since they didn ’ t bring in more staff to help .
She gave notice in August , when the staffing calendar showed she wouldn ’ t have any more help through at least September .
“ You don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re giving a nurse eight patients , ” she said .
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A patient at North Suburban Medical Center died this spring after no one was available to change the battery on a machine measuring blood oxygen levels, in what employees and inspection records reveal is only the most extreme example of dangerous understaffing of HealthOne hospitals in metro Denver.
Five nurses and a doctor who’ve worked at North Suburban and two other Denver-area hospitals owned by HealthOne told The Denver Post they were understaffed, leading in some cases to an increase in preventable pressure sores and infections, and a failure to regularly provide basic hygiene care. In interviews over four months, they all spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their current jobs or job prospects.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment inspection records also showed North Suburban, in Thornton, and a fourth HealthOne hospital, The Medical Center of Aurora, had been cited for insufficient care because of low staffing. Those citations typically don’t result in penalties if a hospital corrects the issue.
The patient who died at North Suburban, who was not identified in a state inspection report, was being treated for COVID-19 on May 23. He or she was hooked up to a device called a pulse oximeter, which measures whether the blood has enough oxygen. If a patient’s oxygen levels are too low, it’s important to quickly increase oxygen flow or place the patient on a ventilator, to prevent brain damage.
When an oximeter stops working, North Suburban’s procedure is for the technician to alert a nurse, then reach out to another nurse if the problem isn’t fixed within minutes, according to the inspection report.
That didn’t happen.
The nurse the technician called first was dealing with a patient who needed close watching due to alcohol withdrawal, and was further delayed because the withdrawal patient had symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and she had to safely remove all her protective equipment before moving on to other rooms. The technician didn’t realize no one had fixed the oxygen monitor for more than half an hour, because she was busy with 46 other patients. After she made a second call, the nurse didn’t arrive for another 10 minutes.
By that point, it was too late. The patient wasn’t breathing, and was declared dead after resuscitation attempts failed, according to the state inspection report.
Another technician told inspectors she had reported she couldn’t safely monitor as many as 50 patients, as she was often asked to do, but nothing changed. The nurse who couldn’t get there in time told inspectors that when she was asked what had happened to cause the patient’s death, she told hospital leadership that insufficient staffing was to blame. They never responded, she said.
HealthOne’s staffing levels are appropriate, and multiple hospitals have been recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and hospital ranker Leapfrog Group for quality care, said Stephanie Sullivan, assistant vice president of media relations and video content for HCA Healthcare, which owns the HealthOne hospitals.
HCA declined an interview request from The Post, instead answering some questions via emailed statements.
“HealthONE is proud of our long-standing commitment to providing the highest quality patient care,” Sullivan said. “Our staffing levels are appropriate and consistent with national standards and also reflect provider skill mix and patient acuity.”
All HealthOne hospitals thoroughly review what led up to any “unintended event,” such as a patient’s unexpected death, and determine whether any changes are needed, Sullivan said.
“Paramount across our entire HealthONE system is providing the highest quality care to every patient, every time,” she said.
Mistakes causing harm to patients aren’t unheard of: a patient also died at Castle Rock Adventist Hospital after insufficient oxygen monitoring in 2019, and patients didn’t always receive baths and hygiene care in 2016 at Colorado Acute Long-Term Care Hospital in Denver, which has since changed ownership. But other Denver-area facilities’ mistakes weren’t attributed to insufficient staff, and state inspection reports didn’t show any sign employees had raised alarms fruitlessly.
“Some things get missed”
A doctor who works at North Suburban told The Post that patients have developed more preventable pressure sores and infections in recent months because no one is available to turn them in bed or clean their catheters as often as needed.
North Suburban has brought more hands onto floors by deploying paramedics and new nurses who can help with running for supplies, the doctor said, but they aren’t experienced enough for complex intensive-care work. Even things that sound simple, like turning patients, require multiple people and a great deal of care because the patients are hooked up to so many machines, he said.
That’s a particular problem for patients who have the new coronavirus, who seem to do better on their stomachs, where they can use their full lung capacity, the doctor said. A “prone” patient needs careful monitoring, because you can’t just glance in the door to see if a tube has come loose or if the patient is showing signs of distress, he said.
“You don’t want to prone somebody unless you have the nursing ratio to keep them safe,” he said.
Hospitals across the country laid off or furloughed staff this spring, as states faced with COVID-19 ordered them to stop the non-emergency services that account for a large portion of their patient volume and revenue. The nurses who spoke to The Post said their hospitals haven’t called back staff, even as the number of patients started to climb again once elective surgeries resumed.
Hospitals have moved staff around from units and clinics that offered elective services to those that needed more staff due to COVID-19, HCA’s Sullivan said.
A nurse at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver said no one has been hurt due to low staffing on her unit, but they aren’t able to provide the usual standard of care.
“Some things get missed, like showers and turning patients so they don’t get pressure injuries,” she said.
Employees were told the hospital couldn’t bring in extra help from staffing agencies because of budget struggles, the St. Luke’s nurse said. While nearly all hospitals have lost significant revenue due to canceled non-emergency surgeries, HCA reported $1.1 billion in profit in the second quarter, much of it due to federal payments to compensate hospitals for pandemic-related costs, according to The New York Times.
The decision not to bring in contract labor was based on reduced need as the hospitals cared for fewer patients, and hospitals likely will begin using more temporary nurses as elective procedures increase, Sullivan said.
Colorado doesn’t have minimum staffing ratios for hospitals, and there’s no one right number of patients per nurse, said Julie Lonborg, senior vice president of communications and media relations for the Colorado Hospital Association. The ratio depends on how much care patients need, and if there are support staff to handle routine tasks, she said.
Federal inspectors also don’t cite a specific standard, but consider a unit understaffed when the hospital can’t provide all needed care in a reasonable amount of time.
Lonborg said she was surprised to hear reports of short staffing, when many hospitals had to reduce staff hours because of the pandemic.
“Most (hospitals) are also trying to ensure that they can avoid furloughs and layoffs and are trying to ensure that their staff have the ability to earn a full paycheck,” she said.
Staffing shortages weren’t a big problem when Presbyterian/St. Luke’s called off elective procedures, freeing up nurses who worked in the surgical unit and reducing the overall number of patients needing care, the nurse who works there said. Since they’ve restarted, however, patients are having to wait longer for help, which is a problem for those who need assistance with eating or getting to the bathroom, she said.
“It’s frustrating when I’m in a room taking care of a patient and I hear that call light going off,” she said. “Sometimes the food’s sitting there for an hour before there’s someone who can feed them.”
A nurse who works in a HealthOne rehab unit said the low staffing is contributing to burnout. Nurses are working beyond their normal hours to take care of all the patient care and documentation they have to do, because there’s no guarantee the next shift will have time to do it, she said. She asked that the hospital she works at not be identified.
“It makes a 12-hour day into a 13- or 14-hour day,” she said. “If you have another 12-hour shift the next day, you’re exhausted.”
Records show long-standing problem
Low staffing hasn’t only been a problem since COVID-19 arrived in Colorado.
An inspection in January had noted that patients on North Suburban’s medical/surgical unit sometimes waited 40 minutes or longer for help when they activated their call lights, and some didn’t receive regular hygiene care, like help brushing their teeth.
A nurse working on that unit told inspectors it was best to answer within five minutes, but that wasn’t possible because there weren’t enough nursing assistants, and the charge nurses who were supposed to oversee operations and help as needed couldn’t step in because they were responsible for their own patients.
The Medical Center of Aurora also was cited, in June 2016, because nurses assigned to cover 11 to 14 patients in the behavioral health unit didn’t give medications on time, raising the risk some patients could have seizures. In an interview with inspectors, one of the nurses said their unit was frequently short-staffed and couldn’t give out all medications on schedule.
A nurse who is employed by a staffing agency but typically works in HCA facilities said she had worked on short-staffed units, both before and after the pandemic hit. Once, she was working on a cardiac floor that was short-staffed, which created a major problem when one patient temporarily stopped breathing and another’s blood pressure dropped precipitously at the same time.
While some complications will happen even with ideal care, problems are more likely if nurses are running from room to room and don’t have time to watch closely for signs a patient may be taking a turn for the worse, she said.
“Things like that could have been prevented,” she said. “A lot of the floors are short-staffed to begin with, and now it’s even worse.”
A nurse who until recently worked at Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital’s Denver unit agreed that low staffing had been an issue for some time, but said it got worse after the pandemic hit. Many of the patients on her unit had recently undergone spinal surgery and need help sitting up or walking without injuring themselves, so it’s risky to let their call lights go unanswered for a long time, she said.
Normally, she could care for four patients during the day and five at night, the former Spalding nurse said. For the last few months, she’d been assigned six patients during the day and eight at night. That’s particularly difficult because patients tend to get confused at night and may try to get up, even if they aren’t strong enough, she said.
Hospital administration would send emails emphasizing patient safety whenever someone fell, the nurse said, but the concern rang hollow since they didn’t bring in more staff to help. She gave notice in August, when the staffing calendar showed she wouldn’t have any more help through at least September.
“You don’t care about patient safety if you’re giving a nurse eight patients,” she said.
Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox.


thedenverpost--2020-08-31--Facing elimination, Avalanche won’t get any of its injured/sick players back

The Avalanche , down 3-1 to the Dallas Stars and facing elimination in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinal series , won ’ t likely get any of its four injured/sick players back Monday night in Edmonton .
Following Game 4 ’ s 5-4 loss at Rogers Place , Avs coach Jared Bednar said defenseman Erik Johnson and forwards Matt Calvert and Joonas Donskoi won ’ t play Monday .
It ’ s assumed that goalie Philipp Grubauer is done for the series and possibly the rest of the playoffs .
“ They ’ re not ready .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Bednar said of Johnson , Calvert and Donskoi .
“ We ’ re not going to play injured players that can ’ t play .
We have what we have .
Injuries never help you and we have to find a way without them.
” Calvert , who played in all five games of the first-round series against Arizona , hasn ’ t played in the Dallas series .
Grubauer and Johnson each went down in Game 1 .
Donskoi has missed the last two games against the Stars .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a player is sick or injured , will again rely on depth players helping them extend the series .
“ We ’ re just trying to ( win ) Game 5 , and make it 3-2 and go from there , ” Avs center Nathan MacKinnon said .
“ We can ’ t win three games in one day so we ’ re going to take it step-by-step and get that win tomorrow.
” Make it 12 .
MacKinnon had an assist on Cale Makar ’ s power-play goal that got Colorado within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extended his playoff points streak to 12 games , the longest in club history and longest overall in the NHL since 2010 when Chicago ’ s Jonathan Toews had a 13-game streak and Detroit ’ s Johan Franzen had points in 12 straight .
MacKinnon , who has points in every postseason game this year , has a league-high 21 points this postseason and 50 career playoff points , tied with Chris Drury and Alex Tanguay for 11th in Avalanche history .
Momentum .
The Avalanche and Stars have had momentum shifts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has had a few more in winning three of the first four games .
“ That ’ s sports for you , ” Avs captain Gabe Landeskog said after Sunday ’ s back-and-forth affair .
“ Momentum is going to go that way .
When one team ’ s up , the other team is going to push back and that ’ s what we did in the second — we were able to score two quick ones .
We were knocking on the door to get that third tying goal.
” And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two Avalanche goals .
“ We have to be better defensively , no doubt , ” Landeskog said .
Footnotes .
Avs second-line center Nazem Kadri took two penalties in the first period Sunday and Dallas scored on both power plays .
Kadri , who did not commit a penalty in the first-round series against Arizona , has six penalties in the series against the Stars .
… Defenseman Ryan Graves had a team-high seven shots in Game 4 , one more than Kadri .
… Makar logged a team-high 22:42 and had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rookie the league ’ s best defenseman .
… Colorado was credited with 36 hits Sunday , half of its club-record 72 in Game 3 .
… Dallas blocked 22 shots Sunday , compared to just nine for the Avs .

The Avalanche, down 3-1 to the Dallas Stars and facing elimination in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinal series, won’t likely get any of its four injured/sick players back Monday night in Edmonton.
Following Game 4’s 5-4 loss at Rogers Place, Avs coach Jared Bednar said defenseman Erik Johnson and forwards Matt Calvert and Joonas Donskoi won’t play Monday. It’s assumed that goalie Philipp Grubauer is done for the series and possibly the rest of the playoffs.
“They’re not ready. They’re not an option for us,” Bednar said of Johnson, Calvert and Donskoi. “We’re not going to play injured players that can’t play. We have what we have. Injuries never help you and we have to find a way without them.”
Calvert, who played in all five games of the first-round series against Arizona, hasn’t played in the Dallas series. Grubauer and Johnson each went down in Game 1. Donskoi has missed the last two games against the Stars.
The Avs, who cannot say whether a player is sick or injured, will again rely on depth players helping them extend the series.
“We’re just trying to (win) Game 5, and make it 3-2 and go from there,” Avs center Nathan MacKinnon said. “We can’t win three games in one day so we’re going to take it step-by-step and get that win tomorrow.”
Make it 12. MacKinnon had an assist on Cale Makar’s power-play goal that got Colorado within 3-2 in the second period. MacKinnon extended his playoff points streak to 12 games, the longest in club history and longest overall in the NHL since 2010 when Chicago’s Jonathan Toews had a 13-game streak and Detroit’s Johan Franzen had points in 12 straight.
MacKinnon, who has points in every postseason game this year, has a league-high 21 points this postseason and 50 career playoff points, tied with Chris Drury and Alex Tanguay for 11th in Avalanche history.
Momentum. The Avalanche and Stars have had momentum shifts of massive proportions in this series. Dallas has had a few more in winning three of the first four games.
“That’s sports for you,” Avs captain Gabe Landeskog said after Sunday’s back-and-forth affair. “Momentum is going to go that way. When one team’s up, the other team is going to push back and that’s what we did in the second — we were able to score two quick ones. We were knocking on the door to get that third tying goal.”
And then Dallas struck twice, followed by two Avalanche goals.
“We have to be better defensively, no doubt,” Landeskog said.
Footnotes. Avs second-line center Nazem Kadri took two penalties in the first period Sunday and Dallas scored on both power plays. Kadri, who did not commit a penalty in the first-round series against Arizona, has six penalties in the series against the Stars. … Defenseman Ryan Graves had a team-high seven shots in Game 4, one more than Kadri. … Makar logged a team-high 22:42 and had five shots. MacKinnon dubbed the 21-year-old rookie the league’s best defenseman. … Colorado was credited with 36 hits Sunday, half of its club-record 72 in Game 3. … Dallas blocked 22 shots Sunday, compared to just nine for the Avs.


thedenverpost--2020-08-31--Ask Amy: DNA test reveals mistaken identity

Dear Amy : I gave birth to a child in the ’ 70s .
I was 16 at the time , and for all these years I thought I knew who my daughter ’ s biological father was .
He was not involved in her life and made it known he did not want to be .
I married and my husband adopted her .
Our daughter knows all the details .
Yesterday , I found out via a DNA test who her real biological father is .
It is not who I thought it was .
I had no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This person passed away 10 years ago .
I confessed everything to my daughter , right away .
How do I get through this ?
I have beat myself up for so long over this out-of-wedlock pregnancy , and now I find this out .
What do I say to the other “ father , ” who I have not had contact with in 40 years ?
Do I say anything ?
Dear No Words : I think it ’ s important to recognize that you have done so much that is absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your daughter .
He adopted her .
He is her dad .
You have always been honest with her regarding her DNA parentage , and you are being honest , now .
It would be wise for you to find a professional counselor to help you and your family navigate through this .
Some of the layers of this situation are intensely personal for you , but this also has wider consequences for your husband , and ( of course ) your daughter .
The National Association of Social Workers has helpful links @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Check their website at Helpstartshere.org .
Many professional counselors will connect with you virtually .
You have already been brave about this and have notified your daughter about her DNA parentage .
It is hard to know how this will affect her , but you should continue to be truthful and transparent .
Yes , you should contact the person you always assumed was her biological father .
I gather that he never financially contributed to your daughter ’ s care ( if he had , it would bring up a further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harboring his own complicated feelings of guilt and sadness about his long-ago rejection .
( Rejecting a mistaken-daughter is not appreciably different from rejecting an actual-daughter , but all the same he should be told the truth . )
Your daughter might be interested in connecting with some of her bio-relatives , and when the dust surrounding this settles , I hope you all find peace , love , and resolution regarding the choices you have made in your life .
Dear Amy : My great uncle ( age 90 , no wife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help him out by taking on power of attorney and oversee his care .
He told me I will inherit everything ( house , accounts etc. )
.
It could be a lot when all is said and done ( over half a million dollars ) .
Here ’ s my dilemma .
I have two siblings , but he is only leaving everything to ME !
My siblings know about this .
He told me he chose me because for the last decade ( and more ) my wife has remembered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my siblings have not .
My mom ( my father died ) says I NEED to split everything equally three ways , OR ELSE !
My wife says I should do what I want and maybe not be so “ forthcoming , ” concerning what is going on .
What do you think ?
Dear J : I ’ m with your wife .
She is obviously the more thoughtful of the two of you , and you should pay attention to her .
You are agreeing to take on a huge responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This man ’ s life is in your hands , and you owe it to him to do your very best to see to his needs for the rest of his life .
You should set up a meeting with your uncle and his lawyer .
Your uncle ’ s savings should be used to pay for his care .
This can be very expensive .
If there is any money left after his death , then you will have earned it .
Rise to this challenge .
Take it seriously .
Do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discuss this with your mother .
Dear Amy : I loved your response to “ Befuddled Guest ” who was faced with a vaguely familiar person at a dinner party only to learn later that this person is transgender .
Thank you for this : “ Names .
We have them for a reason.
” When you know someone ’ s name , you don ’ t need to worry about the rest .

Dear Amy: I gave birth to a child in the ’70s. I was 16 at the time, and for all these years I thought I knew who my daughter’s biological father was. He was not involved in her life and made it known he did not want to be. I married and my husband adopted her. Our daughter knows all the details.
Yesterday, I found out via a DNA test who her real biological father is. It is not who I thought it was. I had no idea, and I am stunned. This person passed away 10 years ago. I confessed everything to my daughter, right away.
How do I get through this? I have beat myself up for so long over this out-of-wedlock pregnancy, and now I find this out.
What do I say to the other “father,” who I have not had contact with in 40 years? Do I say anything?
— No Words
Dear No Words: I think it’s important to recognize that you have done so much that is absolutely right. You and your husband raised your daughter. He adopted her. He is her dad. You have always been honest with her regarding her DNA parentage, and you are being honest, now.
It would be wise for you to find a professional counselor to help you and your family navigate through this. Some of the layers of this situation are intensely personal for you, but this also has wider consequences for your husband, and (of course) your daughter.
The National Association of Social Workers has helpful links to databases of social workers and therapists: Check their website at Helpstartshere.org. Many professional counselors will connect with you virtually.
You have already been brave about this and have notified your daughter about her DNA parentage. It is hard to know how this will affect her, but you should continue to be truthful and transparent.
Yes, you should contact the person you always assumed was her biological father. I gather that he never financially contributed to your daughter’s care (if he had, it would bring up a further complication), but he could be harboring his own complicated feelings of guilt and sadness about his long-ago rejection. (Rejecting a mistaken-daughter is not appreciably different from rejecting an actual-daughter, but all the same he should be told the truth.)
Your daughter might be interested in connecting with some of her bio-relatives, and when the dust surrounding this settles, I hope you all find peace, love, and resolution regarding the choices you have made in your life.
Dear Amy: My great uncle (age 90, no wife or children) recently asked me to help him out by taking on power of attorney and oversee his care. He told me I will inherit everything (house, accounts etc.). It could be a lot when all is said and done (over half a million dollars).
Here’s my dilemma. I have two siblings, but he is only leaving everything to ME! My siblings know about this. He told me he chose me because for the last decade (and more) my wife has remembered to send him a Christmas card, and my siblings have not.
My mom (my father died) says I NEED to split everything equally three ways, OR ELSE!
My wife says I should do what I want and maybe not be so “forthcoming,” concerning what is going on.
What do you think?
— J
Dear J: I’m with your wife. She is obviously the more thoughtful of the two of you, and you should pay attention to her.
You are agreeing to take on a huge responsibility regarding your uncle’s life. This man’s life is in your hands, and you owe it to him to do your very best to see to his needs for the rest of his life. You should set up a meeting with your uncle and his lawyer.
Your uncle’s savings should be used to pay for his care. This can be very expensive. If there is any money left after his death, then you will have earned it.
Rise to this challenge. Take it seriously. Do a good job. And do not discuss this with your mother.
Dear Amy: I loved your response to “Befuddled Guest” who was faced with a vaguely familiar person at a dinner party only to learn later that this person is transgender.
Thank you for this: “Names. We have them for a reason.”
When you know someone’s name, you don’t need to worry about the rest.
— Big Fan
Dear Fan: Exactly.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)


thedenverpost--2020-09-01--Infant death investigation connected to unlicensed child care center in Parker

An investigation into the death of an infant at an unlicensed child care center in a Parker residence is ongoing , officials said .
The Douglas County Coroner ’ s Office was notified Wednesday by the Emergency Department of Sky Ridge Medical Center of an infant death , according to the coroner ’ s office .
An autopsy has been completed and a “ death investigation ” is ongoing .
The sheriff ’ s office said it is investigating the death of an infant at 14166 Lexington Drive .
The address is a 3,149-square-foot residence with 4 bedrooms and 3.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Colorado Department of Human Services has served a “ cease and desist ” order at the residence in regard to child care operations .
“ We are aware of the investigation .
This incident occurred in an unlicensed , illegal child care home , ” the CDHS said in a statement .
“ The Department was not aware illegal child care was being provided at this location until after the incident occurred and we were notified by the county.
” A complaint report with CDHS identifies the day care operator as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were 16 children at the home at the time of the incident , most of them toddlers .
Anderson , who could not be reached for comment on Monday night , has not been accused of a crime .
“ The status of the daycare facility is something that we will be looking at during the investigation , ” the sheriff ’ s office said in a statement .

An investigation into the death of an infant at an unlicensed child care center in a Parker residence is ongoing, officials said.
The Douglas County Coroner’s Office was notified Wednesday by the Emergency Department of Sky Ridge Medical Center of an infant death, according to the coroner’s office. An autopsy has been completed and a “death investigation” is ongoing.
The sheriff’s office said it is investigating the death of an infant at 14166 Lexington Drive.
The address is a 3,149-square-foot residence with 4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, according to real estate records.
The Colorado Department of Human Services has served a “cease and desist” order at the residence in regard to child care operations.
“We are aware of the investigation. This incident occurred in an unlicensed, illegal child care home,” the CDHS said in a statement. “The Department was not aware illegal child care was being provided at this location until after the incident occurred and we were notified by the county.”
A complaint report with CDHS identifies the day care operator as Amanda Anderson. The report said there were 16 children at the home at the time of the incident, most of them toddlers.
Anderson, who could not be reached for comment on Monday night, has not been accused of a crime.
“The status of the daycare facility is something that we will be looking at during the investigation,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.


thedenverpost--2020-09-01--Keeler: Jamal Murray is Nuggets’ postseason MVP. But Michael Porter Jr. and Gary Harris deserve game

Keeler: Jamal Murray is Nuggets’ postseason MVP. But Michael Porter Jr. and Gary Harris deserve game balls, too.

Oh , he ’ ll try .
Merrily .
Yes , every ball that leaves Mitchell ’ s mitts right now has a flaming comet trail behind it , like in the old “ NBA Jam ” arcade game .
Yes , Mitchell and Jamal Murray are putting on a two-man show for the ages .
Yes , the Spida and the Blue Arrow , two nicknames plucked straight from The Golden Age of Comic Books , have elevated Nuggets-Jazz — ordinarily the Western Conference ’ s flyover series — into appointment viewing , prime-time stuff .
But even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
45 also can ’ t beat you all by himself .
“ I know everyone ’ s been talking about Jamal Murray , his games , ” Nuggets coach Michael Malone stressed on the eve of Tuesday ’ s decisive Game 7 between Denver and Utah .
“ ( But ) we won Game 5 because of our second-half defense .
We won Game 6 because of our defense after the first quarter .
The first quarter , they scored 36 points , they were shooting lights out , didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 , 3 , 4 , they shot 37 % from the field.
” Amen .
Amen , amen , amen .
Murray ’ s averaged 34.0 points and 5.2 treys per tilt in this series .
The kid ’ s lighting it up like the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center , matching Mitchell twine for twine and making a case for NBA immortality at the tender age of 23 .
But you don ’ t win two straight , down 3-1 , without serious stones .
You don ’ t win Game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who ’ s only played 20 minutes over the last five months .
Or without Michael Porter Jr. , a rookie who posted a plus/minus of +21 and grabbed 12 boards on Sunday despite whiffing on six of seven field-goal attempts .
It was the kind of game that can sow seeds of doubt in a young player — MPJ went 0-for-5 from beyond the arc — until a coach comes over , puts his arm around the shoulder , and emphasizes the 15 other things they did right .
“ I told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I was proud of him , because he didn ’ t allow himself to be a specialist , ” Malone said .
“ A specialist is a guy that can only impact the game in one way.
” Quin Snyder ’ s Jazz are a hydra of many heads in the backcourt , almost all of whom prefer to shoot first and ask questions later .
Suffocate two of them and you dance on to the Clippers .
Even if Mitchell somehow goes for 57 again .
Games 2-4 : 22-for-43 from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20.3 points per game .
Utah , 3-0 .
Games 5-6 : 11-for-28 from the floor ( 39.3 % ) , 14.0 points per contest .
Denver , 2-0 .
Games 3-4 : 11-for-16 from beyond the arc ( 68.9 % ) , 26.5 points per game .
Utah , 2-0 .
“ We knew what Donovan Mitchell , Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson present in a pick-and-roll and 1-on-1 , ” Malone continued , “ and I thought Torrey Craig ’ s defense on Mike Conley and I thought Gary Harris ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Especially , in the case of Harris , for a guy who had yet to play in the bubble because of hip issues .
“ I wasn ’ t expecting anything crazy on the offensive end , ” Malone noted .
“ He hadn ’ t played a game since March 11.
” The former Michigan State star , like greybeards Will Barton and Paul Millsap , has become a divisive figure to Nuggets fans , an offensively flawed veteran whose ceiling is nowhere near Murray ’ s or Porter ’ s .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ say he still doesn ’ t have a role , even when he ’ s hobbled , even as a defensive “ specialist ” — there ’ s that word again — rolling off the pine .
With Harris , you don ’ t know what you ’ ve missed until you spend a few weeks watching the Jazz bludgeon Denver with the pick-and-roll the way Moe used to whack Curly .
“ Gary , his ability to defend … he takes pride in it , ” Malone said .
“ He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , move his feet .
He ’ s strong .
He ’ s physical .
I think the most important part of it is that Gary wants to be a really good defensive player .
You have to have that , and to take pride in it .
And that ’ s what Gary does.
” In the 28 minutes of Game 6 in which Harris wasn ’ t on the floor , according to Matt Moore of The Action Network , the Jazz posted an offensive rating — as in , points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An average offense is usually in the 100 range .
During the 20 minutes in which Harris played , Utah ’ s rating dropped to a meager 88 .
“ We ’ ll need a 48-minute effort on defense in order to have a chance , ” Malone said .
“ We know Donovan Mitchell will leave it all out there.
” When it ’ s win-or-go-home , you need daggers , stars with ice in their veins , the Murrays , the Iversons , the Jordans .
You need the Rodmans , @ @

Donovan Mitchell can’t beat you alone.
Oh, he’ll try. Merrily. Yes, every ball that leaves Mitchell’s mitts right now has a flaming comet trail behind it, like in the old “NBA Jam” arcade game. Yes, Mitchell and Jamal Murray are putting on a two-man show for the ages. Yes, the Spida and the Blue Arrow, two nicknames plucked straight from The Golden Age of Comic Books, have elevated Nuggets-Jazz — ordinarily the Western Conference’s flyover series — into appointment viewing, prime-time stuff.
But even if he can’t miss, No. 45 also can’t beat you all by himself.
“I know everyone’s been talking about Jamal Murray, his games,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone stressed on the eve of Tuesday’s decisive Game 7 between Denver and Utah.
“(But) we won Game 5 because of our second-half defense. We won Game 6 because of our defense after the first quarter. The first quarter, they scored 36 points, they were shooting lights out, didn’t feel us. I think in quarters 2, 3, 4, they shot 37% from the field.”
Amen. Amen, amen, amen. Murray’s averaged 34.0 points and 5.2 treys per tilt in this series. The kid’s lighting it up like the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, matching Mitchell twine for twine and making a case for NBA immortality at the tender age of 23.
But you don’t win two straight, down 3-1, without serious stones. You don’t win Game 6 without Gary Harris, a guy who’s only played 20 minutes over the last five months. Or without Michael Porter Jr., a rookie who posted a plus/minus of +21 and grabbed 12 boards on Sunday despite whiffing on six of seven field-goal attempts.
It was the kind of game that can sow seeds of doubt in a young player — MPJ went 0-for-5 from beyond the arc — until a coach comes over, puts his arm around the shoulder, and emphasizes the 15 other things they did right.
“I told (Porter Jr.) after the game that I was proud of him, because he didn’t allow himself to be a specialist,” Malone said. “A specialist is a guy that can only impact the game in one way.”
(A specialist would also include, by definition, someone such as Kyle Korver, the sort of long, instant-offense gunner off the bench that the Nuggets have been lacking for a few seasons. But that’s another rabbit hole for another day.)
Quin Snyder’s Jazz are a hydra of many heads in the backcourt, almost all of whom prefer to shoot first and ask questions later. Suffocate two of them and you dance on to the Clippers. Even if Mitchell somehow goes for 57 again.
• Exhibit A: Jordan Clarkson
Games 2-4: 22-for-43 from the floor (51.2%), 20.3 points per game. Utah, 3-0.
Games 5-6: 11-for-28 from the floor (39.3%), 14.0 points per contest. Denver, 2-0.
• Exhibit B: Mike Conley
Games 3-4: 11-for-16 from beyond the arc (68.9%), 26.5 points per game. Utah, 2-0.
Games 5-6: 12-for-25 on treys (48.0%), 19.0 points per contest. Denver, 2-0.
“We knew what Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson present in a pick-and-roll and 1-on-1,” Malone continued, “and I thought Torrey Craig’s defense on Mike Conley and I thought Gary Harris’ defense on Jordan Clarkson were terrific.”
Especially, in the case of Harris, for a guy who had yet to play in the bubble because of hip issues.
“I wasn’t expecting anything crazy on the offensive end,” Malone noted. “He hadn’t played a game since March 11.”
The former Michigan State star, like greybeards Will Barton and Paul Millsap, has become a divisive figure to Nuggets fans, an offensively flawed veteran whose ceiling is nowhere near Murray’s or Porter’s.
But that’s also not to say he still doesn’t have a role, even when he’s hobbled, even as a defensive “specialist” — there’s that word again — rolling off the pine. With Harris, you don’t know what you’ve missed until you spend a few weeks watching the Jazz bludgeon Denver with the pick-and-roll the way Moe used to whack Curly.
“Gary, his ability to defend … he takes pride in it,” Malone said. “He’s able to sit down and guard, move his feet. He’s strong. He’s physical. I think the most important part of it is that Gary wants to be a really good defensive player. You have to have that, and to take pride in it. And that’s what Gary does.”
In the 28 minutes of Game 6 in which Harris wasn’t on the floor, according to Matt Moore of The Action Network, the Jazz posted an offensive rating — as in, points per 100 possessions — of 115.1.
An average offense is usually in the 100 range. During the 20 minutes in which Harris played, Utah’s rating dropped to a meager 88.
“We’ll need a 48-minute effort on defense in order to have a chance,” Malone said. “We know Donovan Mitchell will leave it all out there.”
When it’s win-or-go-home, you need daggers, stars with ice in their veins, the Murrays, the Iversons, the Jordans. You need the Rodmans, too.


thedenverpost--2020-09-01--Rockies’ infielder Brendan Rodgers headed to injured list with more shoulder problems

Rockies infielder Brendan Rodgers , the club ’ s first-round draft choice in 2015 , is battling a shoulder injury @ @ @ @ @ third overall pick in 2015 , was placed on the 10-day injured list with a @ @ @ @ @ Rodgers made his big-league debut last season and played in 25 games before his season @ @ @ @ @ injury .
He underwent surgery on July 17 , 2019 .
Rodgers was called up @ @ @ @ @ 19 .
He played in seven games , hitting .095 ( 2-for-21 ) with one @ @ @ @ @ In other moves , the Rockies added newly-acquired right-handed reliever Mychal Givens to the active @ @ @ @ @ Antonio Santos from their alternate training site .
The Rockies optioned left-handed pitcher James Pazos @ @ @ @ @ This story will be updated

Rockies infielder Brendan Rodgers, one of the club’s prized first-round draft choices, is battling a shoulder injury again, though the Rockies are hopeful it’s nothing serious.
Rodgers, the third overall pick in 2015, was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday with a right shoulder capsular strain. The Rockies are hopeful that Rodgers’ injury is minor and he will resume baseball activities in four or five days.
Rodgers made his big-league debut last season and played in 25 games before his season ended because of a shoulder injury. He underwent surgery on July 17, 2019.
Rodgers was called up from the alternative camp Aug. 19. He played in seven games, hitting .095 (2-for-21) with one double and two RBIs.
In other moves, the Rockies added newly-acquired right-handed reliever Mychal Givens to the active roster and also recalled right-hander Antonio Santos from their alternate training site. The Rockies optioned left-handed pitcher James Pazos to their alternate site.
Givens’ take. The right-hander said he expected to be traded, though not necessarily to the Rockies. He was used as a set-up man for the Orioles, a role that he will likely continue in Colorado.
“Right now, I’m just expected to fill any role that they think is necessary,” he said. “I will fill in basically whenever they need me to, and just have fun and pitch in, keep us in that playoff spot and try to win the World Series.”
Nolan’s take. Star third baseman Nolan Arenado gave a thumbs up to the Rockies for their trades for outfielder Kevin Pillar from Boston and for Givens.
“I played with Givens on Team USA in the (World Baseball Classic) in 2017,” Arenado said. “I really like him. Good dude. And he’s a good pitcher.
“I’ve always liked Pillar. He plays hard and plays a good center field.”
Owings update. Utility player Chris Owings, on the injured list with a strained left hamstring since Aug. 20, is making some progress but his return is not imminent.
“He’s progressing, he’s getting better,” Black said. “He still hasn’t hit. He hasn’t run or done any activity on the field. He’s hitting in the cage and that doesn’t bother him.”
Black added that Owings is running some on the treadmill and riding the bike and doing strength exercises, but Black is not sure when Owings is going to start doing full baseball activities.”
On Deck
Giants RHP Kevin Gausman (1-2, 4.54) at Rockies RHP Jon Gray (2-3, 5.45)
6:40 p.m. Tuesday, Coors Field
TV: AT&T SportsNet, ESPN
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 AM
Gray, who’s been erratic this season, is coming off an encouraging start last Wednesday at Arizona where he allowed one run on three hits, struck out five and walked three over six innings in Colorado’s 8-7 victory. Gray’s slider and fastball, according to manager Bud Black, were the sharpest they have been this season. Gray is 1-5 with a 5.30 ERA in his career vs. the Giants over 11 starts. He is 0-2 with an 8.20 ERA in four starts vs. them at Coors Field. The Giants typically don’t announce their starter until the day of the game but Gausman could be on the mound. He was the subject of trade rumors but was still with the Giants as Monday’s deadline passed. He has a terrific split-finger pitch that makes him tough to hit when he commands it well. Gausman has 48 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings and his fastball still comes to the plate in the upper 90s.
Trending: Nolan Arenado appears to be heating up, albeit without a lot of power. He entered Monday night’s game having hit safely in each of his last six games, batting .500 (11-for-22), with multiple hits in four of the games.
At issue: After his incredibly hot start, right fielder Charlie Blackmon had hit .194 (12-for-62) over his last 16 games entering Monday night. His batting average has fallen from .500 to .354 during that stretch.
Pitching Probables
Wednesday: Giants RHP Logan Webb (2-3, 4.75) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (2-1, 3.43), 1:10 p.m., ATTRM
Thursday: Off
Friday: Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (3-1, 3.32) at Dodgers TBD, 7:40 p.m., ATTRM


thedenverpost--2020-09-01--Denver City Council approves $20 million lease for new homeless shelter in Northeast Park Hill

Denver City Council approved a 10-year , $ 20 million lease Monday night for a new homeless shelter on 48th Street , which could host up to 450 people , though it ’ s unclear when the site could open .
The council approved the lease unanimously and without conversation on a consent agenda , denoting a lack of controversy surrounding the measure .
The shelter site will be located at 4600 E. 48th Ave. , and will be funded mostly through federal CARES Act dollars .
It ’ s meant to supplement more shelter beds as city officials have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But before the site can open , the building needs new restrooms , showers , heating and air conditioning improvements and more , said Derek Woodbury , spokesperson for Denver ’ s Department of Housing Stability .
The shelter will be just east of the Salvation Army ’ s existing shelter on 48th Avenue in Northeast Park Hill and it ’ s partially meant to compensate for lost space after city officials closed down the congregate shelter at the National Western Complex in early August .
At the same time , city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s first temporary sanctioned outdoor space for more people experiencing homelessness .
But no site has been seriously suggested as a viable option for the first camp .
Meanwhile , city officials continue to break up existing , illegal encampments , contrary to federal recommendations and without proper justification , some experts have said .

Denver City Council approved a 10-year, $20 million lease Monday night for a new homeless shelter on 48th Street, which could host up to 450 people, though it’s unclear when the site could open.
The council approved the lease unanimously and without conversation on a consent agenda, denoting a lack of controversy surrounding the measure.
The shelter site will be located at 4600 E. 48th Ave., and will be funded mostly through federal CARES Act dollars. It’s meant to supplement more shelter beds as city officials have recently closed other congregate shelters around Denver.
But before the site can open, the building needs new restrooms, showers, heating and air conditioning improvements and more, said Derek Woodbury, spokesperson for Denver’s Department of Housing Stability.
The shelter will be just east of the Salvation Army’s existing shelter on 48th Avenue in Northeast Park Hill and it’s partially meant to compensate for lost space after city officials closed down the congregate shelter at the National Western Complex in early August.
At the same time, city officials have been working to open Denver’s first temporary sanctioned outdoor space for more people experiencing homelessness. But no site has been seriously suggested as a viable option for the first camp. Meanwhile, city officials continue to break up existing, illegal encampments, contrary to federal recommendations and without proper justification, some experts have said.


thedenverpost--2020-09-01--Broncos’ belief in rookie tight end Albert Okwuegbunam keeps growing

Quarterback Drew Lock called him a “ monster , ” as did veteran tight end Nick Vannett .
Entering training camp , the feeling was Okwuegbunam might be in for somewhat of a redshirt year considering Denver ’ s depth at the position with Fant , Vannett , Jake Butt , Troy Fumagalli and Andrew Beck .
But Okwuegbunam ’ s consistency in practice may force him into the game plan Sept. 14 against Tennessee.. “ He ’ s just so physically gifted , ” Vannett said .
“ The thing with him is he ’ s kind of raw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t say that in a bad way .
I say that like if he keeps building on it and keeps figuring it out , he ’ s going to be one of the best tight ends in the league .
Just how fast he is , how built he is — I really do believe if he can figure it out , he ’ s going to be a scary dude in this league for years to come.
” Selected in the fourth round ( No .
118 overall ) of April ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6-foot-5 Okwuegbunam was immediate considering he played with Lock for two years at Missouri .
In 33 games together , the duo connected for 17 touchdowns on 72 catches , and the tight end posted 98 catches for 1,187 yards .
“ All the chemistry we built up at Mizzou has translated really well , ” Okwuegbunam said .
“ ( Lock ) knows what I ’ m good at , and I know what he likes to see from a receiving standpoint as far as routes and my demeanor when the ball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beefed up throughout college to become an SEC force , and his 4.49-second 40-yard dash at the combine led all tight ends .
During camp , he ’ s showed how that speed can translate into separation , with a number of touchdown grabs on both vertical routes and in the red zone .
“ I knew he could run , ” tight ends coach Wade Harman said .
“ I wasn ’ t sure he could run that fast.
” That speed and play-making ability ( nearly a quarter of Okwuegbunam ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been on display throughout camp as Lock has re-connected with his college teammate .
“ Open field , he ’ s going to blow by you , ” Lock said .
“ In the red zone , it ’ s just kind of a sneaky fast .
It doesn ’ t look like he ’ s moving very quick then all of a sudden he ’ s two yards behind the guy or slipped underneath the guy somehow.
” Okwuegbunam ’ s biggest area of improvement he needs to make as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fangio noted the team needs “ to find out what kind of blocker he is , ” and said the tight end has made incremental progress in that regard .
“ One of the biggest things with a tight end as it relates to blocking is do they want to do it , ” Fangio said .
“ Do they have the mentality to block and be prideful in it ?
He ’ s shown that he does and he ’ s willing .
That ’ s a big hurdle to get over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially for the ones coming out of college these days that don ’ t do it much.
” Okwuegbunam said he ’ s “ really honing in on ( the ) technique ” of run blocking during camp , and while he ’ s aware of the depth of the team ’ s tight end room , he ’ s aiming to still somehow make an impact this fall .
“ As far as coming out and making plays , I felt like I ’ ve done a good job of that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have improvements to make , but obviously I ’ d love to make an impact early , because that ’ s just the competitor I am .
As far as that actually being done , that ’ s not my decision.
” If 2020 ends up being more watching than playing for Okwuegbunam , the 22-year-old said he would embrace that , too .
“ Every rep in practice , I ’ d make sure I ’ m continuing to make those same strides since I ’ ve got here , ” Okwuegbunam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) on being as mentally sound as possible… Really , it ’ s just about not treating my preparation any differently .
”

Amid a crowded Broncos tight end room featuring starter Noah Fant, there’s a growing belief rookie Albert Okwuegbunam is a star-in-waiting.
Quarterback Drew Lock called him a “monster,” as did veteran tight end Nick Vannett. Entering training camp, the feeling was Okwuegbunam might be in for somewhat of a redshirt year considering Denver’s depth at the position with Fant, Vannett, Jake Butt, Troy Fumagalli and Andrew Beck. But Okwuegbunam’s consistency in practice may force him into the game plan Sept. 14 against Tennessee..
“He’s just so physically gifted,” Vannett said. “The thing with him is he’s kind of raw right now, but I don’t say that in a bad way. I say that like if he keeps building on it and keeps figuring it out, he’s going to be one of the best tight ends in the league. Just how fast he is, how built he is — I really do believe if he can figure it out, he’s going to be a scary dude in this league for years to come.”
Selected in the fourth round (No. 118 overall) of April’s draft, the hype around the 6-foot-5 Okwuegbunam was immediate considering he played with Lock for two years at Missouri. In 33 games together, the duo connected for 17 touchdowns on 72 catches, and the tight end posted 98 catches for 1,187 yards.
“All the chemistry we built up at Mizzou has translated really well,” Okwuegbunam said. “(Lock) knows what I’m good at, and I know what he likes to see from a receiving standpoint as far as routes and my demeanor when the ball’s in the air.”
Okwuegbunam beefed up throughout college to become an SEC force, and his 4.49-second 40-yard dash at the combine led all tight ends. During camp, he’s showed how that speed can translate into separation, with a number of touchdown grabs on both vertical routes and in the red zone.
“I knew he could run,” tight ends coach Wade Harman said. “I wasn’t sure he could run that fast.”
That speed and play-making ability (nearly a quarter of Okwuegbunam’s college receptions went for scores) has been on display throughout camp as Lock has re-connected with his college teammate.
“Open field, he’s going to blow by you,” Lock said. “In the red zone, it’s just kind of a sneaky fast. It doesn’t look like he’s moving very quick then all of a sudden he’s two yards behind the guy or slipped underneath the guy somehow.”
Okwuegbunam’s biggest area of improvement he needs to make as a pro is his blocking.
Coach Vic Fangio noted the team needs “to find out what kind of blocker he is,” and said the tight end has made incremental progress in that regard.
“One of the biggest things with a tight end as it relates to blocking is do they want to do it,” Fangio said. “Do they have the mentality to block and be prideful in it? He’s shown that he does and he’s willing. That’s a big hurdle to get over for a lot of tight ends, especially for the ones coming out of college these days that don’t do it much.”
Okwuegbunam said he’s “really honing in on (the) technique” of run blocking during camp, and while he’s aware of the depth of the team’s tight end room, he’s aiming to still somehow make an impact this fall.
“As far as coming out and making plays, I felt like I’ve done a good job of that,” he said. “I still have improvements to make, but obviously I’d love to make an impact early, because that’s just the competitor I am. As far as that actually being done, that’s not my decision.”
If 2020 ends up being more watching than playing for Okwuegbunam, the 22-year-old said he would embrace that, too.
“Every rep in practice, I’d make sure I’m continuing to make those same strides since I’ve got here,” Okwuegbunam said. “And just (focusing) on being as mentally sound as possible… Really, it’s just about not treating my preparation any differently.”


thedenverpost--2020-08-31--Lakewood police arrest two teenagers in killings of two brothers in Walmart parking lot

A 17-year-old boy and 16-year-old boy have been arrested in the Aug. 23 killings of two teenage brothers in a @ @ @ @ @ teenagers , who have not been publicly identified because they are minors , are being @ @ @ @ @ murder .
Lakewood police spokesman John Romero on Monday declined to discuss a motive for @ @ @ @ @ did not appear to be gang-related .
The 16-year-old was arrested Monday afternoon in Commerce @ @ @ @ @ boy was arrested Aug. 25 .
Damian and Dillon Wikoff , 18 and 17-year-old brothers @ @ @ @ @ in a Walmart parking lot on West Colfax Avenue around 8:25 p.m. Aug. 23 , @ @ @ @ @ break from his shift at a nearby Qdoba restaurant .
The brothers were together in @ @ @ @ @ car pulled up , someone fired shots and then sped away , according to police @ @ @ @ @ and spent much of their time together , their sister said .
The family is @ @ @ @ @ funeral for the brothers .

A 17-year-old boy and 16-year-old boy have been arrested in the Aug. 23 killings of two teenage brothers in a Walmart parking lot.
The teenagers, who have not been publicly identified because they are minors, are being held on suspicion of first-degree murder. Lakewood police spokesman John Romero on Monday declined to discuss a motive for the attack but said it did not appear to be gang-related.
The 16-year-old was arrested Monday afternoon in Commerce City, and the older boy was arrested Aug. 25.
Damian and Dillon Wikoff, 18 and 17-year-old brothers, were shot to death in a Walmart parking lot on West Colfax Avenue around 8:25 p.m. Aug. 23, while Damian was on a break from his shift at a nearby Qdoba restaurant.
The brothers were together in the parking lot when a car pulled up, someone fired shots and then sped away, according to police.
The brothers were close and spent much of their time together, their sister said. The family is raising money to hold a funeral for the brothers.


thedenverpost--2020-08-31--Kentucky’s John Calipari on Jamal Murray’s epic Game 6: “I got emotional watching him get emotional”

Head bowed , mind racing , Jamal Murray crouched on a ramp for nearly a minute late Sunday night before gathering himself and heading for the locker room .
The Nuggets star had just poured every ounce of energy he had into a season-saving 50-point performance against Utah , then tore open a 400-year-old wound by answering questions about Black lives lost .
When Murray got back to the victorious locker room , one that had picked itself up after a 3-1 deficit to force Tuesday ’ s win-or-go-home Game 7 , he had a text message waiting for him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , crouched , processing everything he ’ d just authored .
“ I sent him the picture , and just ‘ Wow , can ’ t tell you how proud I am of you , ’ ” Kentucky coach John Calipari told The Denver Post on Monday .
Murray , who played for Calipari during his lone college season in 2015-16 , hit him right back .
“ I imagine why he did what he did was trying to get his mind together , ” Calipari said .
“ Like , what has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When they gave him a max contract ( last summer ) , he calls me and said , ‘ I got a max deal .
Can you believe it ?
’ I go , ‘ Yeah , I can believe it .
You should ’ ve gotten a max deal.
’ So , he ’ s one of those kinds .
They ’ re young men , they ’ re trying to figure out , ‘ Who the hell am I ?
’ ” Calipari watched in astonishment as his former guard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well beyond the 3-point line Sunday , sinking nine .
Murray has shattered Denver ’ s previous record of 19 3-pointers in a playoff series , connecting on 31 through six games .
His 204 points in this series ?
Also a franchise record .
If he wasn ’ t aware of it while his mind dashed between the emotions of the Game 6 win , to talking about the violent deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor , you can bet he ’ s aware of the record now .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , stealing the same adjective Nuggets coach Michael Malone used in the aftermath .
“ It ’ s funny , he knows what I do .
He had 92 ( points ) in two games , so I said , ‘ Damn , you had 82 in two games.
’ And he ’ ll hit me right back and say ‘ Coach , I had 92.
’ ” Calipari knows the 23-year-old from Kitchener , Ontario , is wired differently than most .
He credits Murray ’ s parents , Roger and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As Calipari recalled , Murray didn ’ t have amenities like a phone , TV or the internet as a kid .
“ That ’ s not how he grew up , ” he said .
“ Jamal had to prove himself everywhere he ’ s been , which means you better be tough .
… His mental toughness is coming from like , ‘ Respect what I am , who I am , how I am.
’ ” And yet even Calipari saw something in the visceral emotion Murray displayed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what and who he was playing for .
First , Calipari said it was apparent to him how much the “ racial strife ” had affected Murray , and secondly , he thought the NBA ’ s “ bubble ” experiment was getting to him .
Obviously not enough to impede his historic run of play , but enough to burst open a seam welling inside .
“ I got emotional watching him get emotional , ” Calipari said .
It ’ s here that Calipari thinks back to the ear-to-ear smile Murray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kentucky and reflects on how much he misses coaching him .
“ If I walked in and I was thinking about something or whatever , he ’ d say , ‘ Coach !
’ and I ’ d look at him , and he ’ d point to his smile , ” Calipari recalled .
“ In other words smile .
We ’ re having fun here.
” But hidden behind that smile was a dogged stubbornness in Murray ’ s game that Calipari remembers well .
Calipari recalled a practice where Murray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hook shot that banked hard off the glass and missed .
“ I ’ m like , ‘ You ’ re kidding me , right ?
’ ‘ What do you mean ?
’ ‘ You can ’ t take a shot like that.
’ ” Calipari said , his voice getting animated .
“ He ’ s like , ‘ That ’ s a good shot .
I can make that shot.
’ ” Same thing when Murray entered the NBA .
Though Calipari knew he was an elite prospect who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freshman and showed a penchant for playmaking and crashing the glass , he still had concerns about his 3-point shooting .
Calipari worried about his low release point , that Murray couldn ’ t let his arrows fly .
“ I thought , ‘ He ’ s going to struggle to get that off , ’ ” he said .
“ No , that was wrong … Oh , he gets them off now .
But he ’ s ( shooting ) left and right and hooks and runners and bank shots and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s not that you ’ ll shoot them .
You can ’ t be afraid to miss them .
That ’ s why they go.
” Murray is shooting 57 % from 3-point range in the postseason , the basket seemingly as big as the Magic Kingdom itself .
It was the ruthless efficiency – Murray was 17-for-24 with 50 points in Game 6 – that had Calipari telling one of his elite prospects Monday the difference between Murray at Kentucky and the refined NBA star he ’ s becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” Calipari said .
“ We don ’ t know yet , because what he ’ s done is he ’ s beginning to master his craft .
… There ’ s not one shot that he shoots that he thinks is a bad shot .
If he gets it off , it was a good shot .
That ’ s what Jamal is.
” Murray ’ s legendary performance has placed him alongside names like Jordan , Iverson and West in terms of postseason play .
His ridiculous run of scoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regardless of what happens Tuesday night .
But what ’ s scary , and why Calipari considers the Nuggets so lucky , is Murray will be responsible for wherever his career goes from here .
Future All-Star ?
All-NBA player ?
By now , it ’ s hard to bet against the 23-year-old who , through his words and play , has risen above the heartache of the past week .
“ He ’ s very confident in who he is and what he is , ” Calipari said .
“ You ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Here ’ s what I say : When you build that , and you have to fight for it , and you work for that , no one takes it away except yourself .
You can take it away from you , but no one else can .
And in his mind , he ’ s like , ‘ You ’ re not taking this away.
’ Someone says you can ’ t do this , or this or that , he laughs .
‘ You ’ re out of your mind.
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say .
”

Head bowed, mind racing, Jamal Murray crouched on a ramp for nearly a minute late Sunday night before gathering himself and heading for the locker room.
The Nuggets star had just poured every ounce of energy he had into a season-saving 50-point performance against Utah, then tore open a 400-year-old wound by answering questions about Black lives lost.
When Murray got back to the victorious locker room, one that had picked itself up after a 3-1 deficit to force Tuesday’s win-or-go-home Game 7, he had a text message waiting for him. It was a screenshot of himself, crouched, processing everything he’d just authored.
“I sent him the picture, and just ‘Wow, can’t tell you how proud I am of you,’” Kentucky coach John Calipari told The Denver Post on Monday.
Murray, who played for Calipari during his lone college season in 2015-16, hit him right back.
“I imagine why he did what he did was trying to get his mind together,” Calipari said. “Like, what has just happened? Let me tell you. When they gave him a max contract (last summer), he calls me and said, ‘I got a max deal. Can you believe it?’ I go, ‘Yeah, I can believe it. You should’ve gotten a max deal.’ So, he’s one of those kinds. They’re young men, they’re trying to figure out, ‘Who the hell am I?’”
Calipari watched in astonishment as his former guard launched his “blue arrows” from well beyond the 3-point line Sunday, sinking nine. Murray has shattered Denver’s previous record of 19 3-pointers in a playoff series, connecting on 31 through six games. His 204 points in this series? Also a franchise record.
If he wasn’t aware of it while his mind dashed between the emotions of the Game 6 win, to talking about the violent deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, you can bet he’s aware of the record now.
“I’m just proud,” Calipari said, stealing the same adjective Nuggets coach Michael Malone used in the aftermath. “It’s funny, he knows what I do. He had 92 (points) in two games, so I said, ‘Damn, you had 82 in two games.’ And he’ll hit me right back and say ‘Coach, I had 92.’”
Calipari knows the 23-year-old from Kitchener, Ontario, is wired differently than most. He credits Murray’s parents, Roger and Sylvia, for not coddling their son. As Calipari recalled, Murray didn’t have amenities like a phone, TV or the internet as a kid.
“That’s not how he grew up,” he said. “Jamal had to prove himself everywhere he’s been, which means you better be tough. … His mental toughness is coming from like, ‘Respect what I am, who I am, how I am.’”
And yet even Calipari saw something in the visceral emotion Murray displayed in his postgame interview, where he revealed what and who he was playing for. First, Calipari said it was apparent to him how much the “racial strife” had affected Murray, and secondly, he thought the NBA’s “bubble” experiment was getting to him.
Obviously not enough to impede his historic run of play, but enough to burst open a seam welling inside.
“I got emotional watching him get emotional,” Calipari said.
It’s here that Calipari thinks back to the ear-to-ear smile Murray had on a daily basis while at Kentucky and reflects on how much he misses coaching him.
“If I walked in and I was thinking about something or whatever, he’d say, ‘Coach!’ and I’d look at him, and he’d point to his smile,” Calipari recalled. “In other words smile. We’re having fun here.”
But hidden behind that smile was a dogged stubbornness in Murray’s game that Calipari remembers well. Calipari recalled a practice where Murray let loose a fading, falling left-handed hook shot that banked hard off the glass and missed.
“I’m like, ‘You’re kidding me, right?’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘You can’t take a shot like that.’” Calipari said, his voice getting animated. “He’s like, ‘That’s a good shot. I can make that shot.’”
Same thing when Murray entered the NBA. Though Calipari knew he was an elite prospect who had averaged 20 points per game as a freshman and showed a penchant for playmaking and crashing the glass, he still had concerns about his 3-point shooting. Calipari worried about his low release point, that Murray couldn’t let his arrows fly.
“I thought, ‘He’s going to struggle to get that off,’” he said. “No, that was wrong … Oh, he gets them off now. But he’s (shooting) left and right and hooks and runners and bank shots and bang a three and not be afraid. It’s not that you’ll shoot them. You can’t be afraid to miss them. That’s why they go.”
Murray is shooting 57% from 3-point range in the postseason, the basket seemingly as big as the Magic Kingdom itself. It was the ruthless efficiency – Murray was 17-for-24 with 50 points in Game 6 – that had Calipari telling one of his elite prospects Monday the difference between Murray at Kentucky and the refined NBA star he’s becoming.
“How good can he be?” Calipari said. “We don’t know yet, because what he’s done is he’s beginning to master his craft. … There’s not one shot that he shoots that he thinks is a bad shot. If he gets it off, it was a good shot. That’s what Jamal is.”
Murray’s legendary performance has placed him alongside names like Jordan, Iverson and West in terms of postseason play. His ridiculous run of scoring will be forever etched in Nuggets lore regardless of what happens Tuesday night. But what’s scary, and why Calipari considers the Nuggets so lucky, is Murray will be responsible for wherever his career goes from here. Future All-Star? All-NBA player?
By now, it’s hard to bet against the 23-year-old who, through his words and play, has risen above the heartache of the past week.
“He’s very confident in who he is and what he is,” Calipari said. “You’re not taking his confidence away. Here’s what I say: When you build that, and you have to fight for it, and you work for that, no one takes it away except yourself. You can take it away from you, but no one else can. And in his mind, he’s like, ‘You’re not taking this away.’ Someone says you can’t do this, or this or that, he laughs. ‘You’re out of your mind.’ That’s what he’d say.”