Denver Nuggets point guard Monte Morris (concussion) has been placed in the league's concussion protocol, ruling him out indefinitely, beginning with Friday's game against Boston. Morris' absence opens the door for Bones Hyland to step into both DFS and short-term season-long relevance, especially in the wake of leading Denver in scoring (22 points) Thursday. Morris has taken over the starting PG reins for the Nuggets this season with Jamal Murray (knee) sidelined and is on pace for new career highs at 12.6 points and 4.3 assists per game, averages that have earned him a roster spot in the vast majority of season-long formats.

Denver Nuggets point guard Monte Morris complied a nice 22-6-5 line in Monday's win over the Wizards, going 32 minutes without a turnover and shooting 8-for-14 from the field with a 3-for-7 effort from downtown. Morris started last week with a pair of poor performances, but his shooting had been very solid overall this month, and he has a pretty good set of games for this week against Minnesota, Atlanta and Brooklyn. The Timberwolves can provide a rough matchup for point guards, but the rest of the two teams don't have good defensive numbers against the position.

Denver Nuggets point guard Monte Morris enjoyed the best scoring performance of the year Wednesday night against Orlando, scoring a season-high 22 points on 10-for-15 shooting. Four of his misses came from downtown with five attempts. Morris finished things off with two rebounds, two assists, one block and three turnovers in 34 minutes. The 26-year-old has improved his scoring performances as the season has progressed and he boasts some really efficient games from recent matchups. He'll face the Knicks next, who have limited point guards to 38.8 percent shooting this season, so this is going to be a major test for Morris.

Denver Nuggets point guard Monte Morris (knee) has been given the green light to take the floor Wednesday against Indiana. Morris was deemed probable coming into the day, so the decision comes with little surprise. Having served as Denver's starting PG to begin the season, Morris is on pace to set new career highs in points (10.9) and assists (3.8), giving him season-long appeal in most formats. The 26-year-old has logged double-digit shot attempts in each of his last six games, hoisting at least five threes in five of those outings. He stands to see slightly elevated DFS appeal without Nikola Jokic (suspension) available Wednesday.

Denver Nuggets guard Monte Morris (knee) is listed as probable for Wednesday's game against the Indiana Pacers. He was tagged as probable on Monday as well and played 30 minutes in that contest. It's uncertain if the Nuggets are going to push him that high again here. Morris finished with 14 points on Monday and could have some low-end streaming appeal on Wednesday, assuming he suits up.

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets' season came to an ignominious end with Jamal Murray looking on from the bench and newly crowned league MVP Nikola Jokic watching from the locker room. The Phoenix Suns completed their second-round sweep with a 125-118 win Sunday night in Denver, holding off an inspired effort by the Nuggets following Jokic's stunning third-quarter ejection. Long have the Nuggets chafed at the lack of respect and calls that Jokic gets, particularly this season as the 7-foot Serbian blossomed into the NBA's runaway best player. Frustration boiled over 48 hours after Jokic humbly accepted the Maurice Podoloff Trophy that he dedicated to his teammates, coaches, trainers, front office and family. Infuriated at no whistle for the contact on his one-handed runner that bounced off the rim with the Nuggets down seven late in the third quarter, Jokic gestured at the official before racing to Cameron Payne, whom he swatted across the face as he took a hard swipe at the ball. That... [More]

Four NHL teams have overcome 3-0 deficits in a best-of-seven playoff series, including the 1942 Stanley Cup champion Toronto Maple Leafs. The Boston Red Sox pulled off MLB's only such comeback against the New York Yankees in 2004. The Denver Nuggets are the 143rd NBA team to go down 3-0 in a best-of-seven playoff series and nobody's ever overcome such a daunting deficit to win four straight. The Nuggets say their only aim is to send the series back to Phoenix with a win in Game 4 Sunday night in Denver. “The last thing I want to see is the Phoenix Suns pushing a broom across our home court,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Friday night after Denver's 116-102 loss to the Suns. Malone has said all along the Nuggets could show growth this season after losing a year ago to the Lakers in the Western Conference finals. “We have had a tremendous season, tremendous. I said going into this year you can't judge a season by the end result. ... But the one thing I don't want is for us just to go... [More]

Four NHL teams have overcome 3-0 deficits in a best-of-seven playoff series, including the 1942 Stanley Cup champion Toronto Maple Leafs. The Boston Red Sox pulled off MLB's only such comeback against the New York Yankees in 2004. The Denver Nuggets are the 143rd NBA team to go down 3-0 in a best-of-seven playoff series and nobody's ever overcome such a daunting deficit to win four straight. The Nuggets say their only aim is to send the series back to Phoenix with a win in Game 4 Sunday night in Denver. “The last thing I want to see is the Phoenix Suns pushing a broom across our home court,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Friday night after Denver's 116-102 loss to the Suns. Malone has said all along the Nuggets could show growth this season after losing a year ago to the Lakers in the Western Conference finals. “We have had a tremendous season, tremendous. I said going into this year you can't judge a season by the end result. ... But the one thing I don't want is for us just to go... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets have extended the deal for guard Austin Rivers through the rest of the season. Rivers has averaged 6.2 points, two assists and 1.2 steals since signing a 10-day contract on April 20. Rivers is helping fill the void left by Jamal Murray, who is out for the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee on April 12. Denver also is currently without guards Monte Morris and Will Barton due to hamstring injuries. Both are expected to return this season. The 28-year-old Rivers has averaged 9.1 points and 2.3 assists over 579 career games with New Orleans, Los Angeles Clippers, Washington, Houston, New York and Denver. Rivers was originally drafted 10th overall by New Orleans in 2012 after a season at Duke. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets bolstered their injury-depleted backcourt by signing veteran guard Austin Rivers to a 10-day contract Tuesday. Rivers is expected to be available when the Nuggets visit Portland on Wednesday night. He brings size and shooting to Denver's backcourt, along with plenty of playoff experience — 45 games with the Clippers and Rockets. He is eligible for Denver's playoff roster because he wasn't on an NBA roster after April 9. Rivers appeared in 21 games this season with the New York Knicks before being traded and then waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Nuggets lost star Jamal Murray to a torn left ACL last week and Monte Morris injured his left hamstring Friday night, just two weeks after returning from a left thigh injury that sidelined him for 11 games. Coach Michael Malone said before Denver's double-overtime win over Memphis on Monday night that Morris will miss multiple games. Rivers, 28, is a nine-year NBA veteran who has career averages of 9.1 points,... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Already a triple-double threat on the floor, Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic is prepared to raise his game in yet another category — leadership. Anything to help out after losing point guard and vocal leader Jamal Murray for the season due to a torn ACL in his left knee. Jokic's first decree to his teammates: Concentrate on the task at hand. Because nothing changes, even if the odds may say so. The Nuggets’ stock as a contender in the Western Conference took a hit in the wake of Murray’s knee injury. Once +1400 favorites to win the West, the Nuggets are now +1600, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. They were a +1400 bet to capture their first NBA title, too, only to slip to +3000. Go ahead and count them out, Jokic said. They relish this sort of role. “I’ve been an underdog my whole life,” Jokic said after a 123-106 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday in their first game after Murray tore his ACL. “I’m kind of used to it. It’s a normal position for me. “We’re going to miss... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets will be without Jamal Murray indefinitely after the dynamic point guard suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. The Nuggets announced the diagnosis in a statement Tuesday. It's a big blow to a team coming off a season in which it advanced to the Western Conference finals and is hoping to make another deep postseason run. Murray was hurt late in a loss at Golden State on Monday night. He drove the lane, tried to elevate off his left foot and fell to the ground, instantly grabbing his knee in pain. Coach Michael Malone expressed immense concern soon after Murray's injury. Same with his teammates and players around the league, who posted their well-wishes on social media. Before Monday, the 24-year-old Murray had missed four games with a sore right knee. He is averaging 21.2 points and 4.8 assists this season as the Nuggets sit in fourth place in the West. Murray drew rave reviews for his postseason performance inside the NBA bubble in Florida last season. He... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets will be without Jamal Murray indefinitely after the dynamic point guard suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. The Nuggets announced the diagnosis in a statement Tuesday. It's a big blow to a team coming off a season in which it advanced to the Western Conference finals and is hoping to make another deep postseason run. Murray was hurt late in a loss at Golden State on Monday night. He drove the lane, tried to elevate off his left foot and fell to the ground, instantly grabbing his knee in pain. Coach Michael Malone expressed immense concern soon after Murray's injury. Same with his teammates and players around the league, who posted their well-wishes on social media. Before Monday, the 24-year-old Murray had missed four games with a sore right knee. He is averaging 21.2 points and 4.8 assists this season as the Nuggets sit in fourth place in the West. Murray drew rave reviews for his postseason performance inside the NBA bubble in Florida last season. He... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 27 points and eight assists to help the Boston Celtics withstand a 43-point night from Nikola Jokic and beat the Denver Nuggets 112-99 on Tuesday. Jayson Tatum added 21 points and eight assists as Boston bounced back following two anemic performances in back-to-back losses to Detroit and Washington — the Eastern Conference’s bottom two teams. “We just lost two bad ones. I think it was obvious we needed a win tonight,” Brown said. “We needed to come out with some energy. And for the most part we did.” It was Jokic’s third 40-point game of the season. Jamal Murray added 25 points but Denver had its three-game winning streak snapped. The Celtics led by as many as 15 in the first half and took an 11-point edge into the fourth quarter. Denver briefly got within seven points, but couldn’t string together a run down the stretch. “I think the energy was there. We just need to be a little bit smarter maybe,” Jokic said. The Nuggets were extremely short-handed playing... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 27 points and eight assists to help the Boston Celtics withstand a 43-point night from Nikola Jokic and beat the Denver Nuggets 112-99 on Tuesday. Jayson Tatum added 21 points and eight assists to help Boston bounce back following two anemic performances in back-to-back losses to Detroit and Washington — the Eastern Conference’s bottom two teams. It was Jokic’s third 40-point game of the season. Jamal Murray added 25 points but Denver had its three-game winning streak snapped. The Celtics led by as many as 15 in the first half and took an 11-point edge into the fourth quarter. Denver briefly got within seven points, but couldn’t string together a run down the stretch. The Nuggets were extremely short-handed playing without five rotation players, including Paul Millsap (left knee sprain) and Monte Morris (right shoulder strain). It left Jokic to pick up the offensive load and he did his best, scoring 15 of the Nuggets’ first 18 points. But that couldn’t offset... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Michael Porter Jr. tied his season high with 30 points and the Denver Nuggets overcame Jamal Murray's ejection for a shot to the groin of Dallas guard Tim Hardaway Jr. to beat the Mavericks 117-113 on Monday night. Porter was 6 of 10 from 3-point range, including a go-ahead bucket to start a decisive 7-0 run late in the fourth quarter after the Mavericks had rallied immediately following the incident involving Murray and Hardaway. Luka Doncic had 35 points, 11 rebounds and a season-high 16 assists for his league-leading sixth triple-double. The Dallas star broke a tie for the NBA lead with Nikola Jokic, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets. The Nuggets improved to 3-0 on a five-game road trip with their fourth straight victory and are 7-2 since an overtime loss to the Mavericks in Denver. It was the third game in four days, and the first two went to overtime in Phoenix. “This was character,” coach Mike Malone said. “Coming off two overtime games in Phoenix. And... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Michael Porter Jr. tied his season high with 30 points and the Denver Nuggets overcame Jamal Murray's ejection for a shot to the groin of Dallas guard Tim Hardaway Jr. to beat the Mavericks 117-113 on Monday night. Porter was 6 of 10 from 3-point range, including a go-ahead shot to start a decisive 7-0 run late in the fourth quarter after the Mavericks had rallied immediately following the incident involving Murray and Hardaway. Luka Doncic had 35 points, 11 rebounds and a season-high 16 assists for his league-leading sixth triple-double. The Dallas star broke a tie for the NBA lead with Nikola Jokic, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets. Denver was setting up on offense early in the second half when Murray stumbled backward after colliding with Hardaway. Murray got up and reached between Hardaway’s legs with his right arm, prompting Hardaway to double over. The official closest to the contact blew the whistle to stop play with 4:51 left in the third quarter and... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic faced a situation he couldn’t pass, shoot or dribble his way through. The Denver Nuggets big man was befuddled by a simple yet complicated question: How does he define an NBA MVP? “I don’t know,” Jokic answered after a long pause. “Probably the best player in the NBA? The top scorer? I don’t know.” By any measure, the 7-footer who views himself equal parts center and point guard has definitely put himself in the early MVP conversation. After all, he is averaging a triple-double this season. Not only that, but he's displaying an array of dunks — he's never been known for his dunks — and a newfound aggressive shooting mentality that his coach certainly appreciates — and playfully takes credit. “I locked him in my office one day, and I beat him with a pillowcase filled with soda cans, and said, ‘You’ve got to score more,'" coach Michael Malone cracked. “He’s a great player. He’s playing at an MVP level.” Reserve point guard Monte Morris believes Jokic fully belongs... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Guard Monte Morris has agreed to a three-year, $27 million contract extension with Denver Nuggets. His agent, Ron Shade, confirmed the deal Tuesday. It's fully guaranteed with incentives that can move it closer to $9.5 million per year. Morris is coming off a regular season in which he averaged 9 points and 3.5 assists per game. He played a big role during Denver's postseason run to the Western Conference finals, where the Nuggets were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers. The 25-year-old Morris was a second-round draft pick in 2017 out of Iowa State. He has become a reliable part of coach Michael Malone's rotation over the past few seasons. Morris dressed in all 82 games during the 2018-19 season. He averaged 10.4 points and 3.6 assists. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets have picked up guard Jordan McRae in a trade with Washington that became official Thursday night.In exchange, the Nuggets sent recently acquired guard Shabazz Napier to the Wizards.McRae averaged 12.9 points and 2.8 assists in 29 games for the Wizards this season. The 28-year-old out of Tennessee had surgery on his right ring finger in October. He's recently been dealing with a twisted left ankle.The 6-foot-5 McRae joins a Nuggets team that's off to a 36-16 start and currently sits in third place in the Western Conference. He provides back-court depth behind Jamal Murray, Will Barton, Gary Harris and Monte Morris. McRae has appeared in 115 games over four years with Washington, Cleveland and Phoenix. He was signed by the Wizards on a two-way deal on Sept. 10, 2018, before it was converted to a regular contract on April 9, 2019."Jordan was a great success story for our developmental program, with his hard work and dedication resulting in him earning a full-time... [More]