Author: reporter

Sean Keeler: Are the Nuggets and Avalanche good … or just good enough to break your heart? When things go south in April, I always try to remind myself that the ’22 Stanley Cup champs only won four of their last 10 regular-season games and that the ’23 NBA champs went 5-5 in the 10 games immediately preceding the greatest postseason run in Nuggets history. Unfortunately, both the Nuggs and Avs this month are in a “chasing” position with a week or two to go until the postseason cranks up. And because of that, they’ve battled health problems — Jamal…

By MARK ANDERSON (AP Sports Writer) LAS VEGAS (AP) — A history-making women’s college basketball season ended with multiple sportsbooks declaring Sunday’s national championship as their most bet-on female sports event. Red Rock Las Vegas race and sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said the game not only eclipsed handle records but also the number betting tickets that were written on it. “Game was on the main screen with audio at Red Rock if that puts it into perspective,” Esposito said in a text message. “Unbelievable interest from the viewing and betting public.” BetMGM vice president of trading Craig Mucklow said this…

Mikko Rantanen is in concussion protocol, Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar confirmed Sunday morning. The early reports on Rantanen’s progress are positive though. Bednar said Rantanen worked out Saturday and skated on his own Sunday morning. “He’s day-to-day, I would say,” Bednar said, as opposed to calling it week-to-week. “He’s already been on the ice, so yeah.” Rantanen was injured in the second period Friday at Edmonton. Oilers defenseman Matthias Ekholm surprised him with a huge hit along the boards near the blue line as Rantanen was trying to help the Avs exit their zone. He wobbled as he tried…

The Mighty Casey would have felt right at home Sunday afternoon at Coors Field. The Rockies, dominated by Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot, struck out 15 times in a gut-punch 3-2 loss and have opened the season with a 2-8 record. That mark ties the 2005 club for the worst 10-game record to start a season in franchise history. Still, Colorado had prime opportunities to win the game in the eighth and ninth innings. Alas, it didn’t happen. “We’re just not getting the big hit,” manager Bud Black said, echoing a familiar refrain from last year’s 103-loss season. In the eighth,…

Spring in Colorado is grand if you’re OK with switching between a heavy jacket and a tank top. We never complain about spring rain or even snow since all moisture is welcome and needed for water use, landscapes and agriculture. Here’s your April outdoor plant pruning and vegetable tips list for when the weather is cooperating. Perennial cutback The general guideline for perennial blooming plants is to cut back to the ground all the dead, brown stems and foliage that wasn’t cut in the fall. This is where new growth will soon emerge; some are already showing their green. This…

The weekend’s severe winds are calming down in Denver on Sunday, but high wind warnings persist throughout the Front Range and eastern plains. The National Weather Service reports a sunny and breezy morning in Denver, with a high of around 58 degrees. Winds can still reach as high as 33 miles per hour. By the evening, winds are expected to slow slightly to a high of 28 miles per hour, with a partly cloudy forecast and a temperature low of about 32 degrees. Denverites can expect a mostly sunny Monday, with winds decreasing to a high of 18 miles per…

By JACK JEFFERY and TIA GOLDENBERG (Associated Press) JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s military announced Sunday it had withdrawn its forces from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, wrapping up a key phase in its ground offensive against the Hamas militant group and bringing its troop presence in the territory to one of the lowest levels since the six-month war began. But defense officials said troops were merely regrouping as the army prepares to move into Hamas’ last stronghold, Rafah. “The war in Gaza continues, and we are far from stopping,” said the military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi. Local…

Michael Malone’s mind was wandering. He strolled into his postgame press conference after a 142-110 Nuggets win late Saturday night and interjected before the end of the first question. He wanted to know who won the NCAA men’s Final Four game between Connecticut and Alabama, which was going on during Denver’s game. He was informed of UConn’s victory. “So it’s UConn and Purdue in the final. and you’ve got South Carolina vs. Iowa in the other final,” Malone said, trailing off as he thought about the matchups. An obvious follow-up, then: Who does Malone like to win those games? His…

More than 150,000 Xcel customers lost power throughout Colorado this weekend, due to high winds and a corporate decision to turn off service in certain areas. The company predicts it could take through Monday — or longer — to restore power. Spokesperson Tyler Bryant estimated that around 100,000 customers suffered power outages because of extreme winds. On Saturday, Xcel also turned off the power of another 55,000 customers in six counties — Boulder, Gilpin, Larimer, Douglas, Broomfield and Jefferson — “as a public safety measure” to mitigate wildfire risk, Bryant added. That decision resulted in the loss of energy across…

The Vision Hills fire continued to burn in Pueblo on Sunday, with the situation largely unchanged from its Saturday conditions. Just before 12 p.m., the fire remained burning across 107 acres, and is still 80% contained, said spokesperson Gayle Perez at the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office. Its cause remains under investigation. “The winds were up, but it did stay calm last night,” Perez said in a phone call. “Not much has changed.” No structures sustained damage and no injuries have been reported yet, Perez said. All pre-evacuations have been lifted, and roads are open at this time. Crews continue working…