Pickaxe and Roll

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets dominant win vs the Utah Jazz. Nikola Jokic hit another 3/4 court shot, Peyton Watson is figuring out his role, and the Nuggets are one step closer to clinching the playoffs. Ryan breaks down the game against a hapless Jazz squad, Denver's playoff scenarios in the final seven games, and much more! BETONLINE: T...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets win vs the Milwaukee Bucks in which Nikola Jokic returned to the floor but Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard missed. The Nuggets struggled defensively but still found a way to win, and Jokic's 39-10-10 performance was the biggest reason why. Ryan discusses Jokic's return, Michael Porter Jr. making three...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets win over the Houston Rockets, a big time performance to stabilize the team. Jamal Murray had 39 points, DeAndre Jordan played a major role, and every Nugget found an opportunity to step up and help take down one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Ryan discusses the win, the resolve needed to earn the...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets blowout loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. The Nuggets defense continues to look hapless, and Jamal Murray returning to the floor didn't help Denver at all. Ryan breaks down the game, Denver's defensive issues, the Blame Game, and some lineups without Nikola Jokic. BETONLINE: https://www.beton...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn discusses the Denver Nuggets 120-108 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers that wasn't as close as the score indicated. The Nuggets reserves made a comeback in the fourth quarter, but Denver was down 30 for parts of the game. Without Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, Denver's honeymoon period was over as Luka Doncic went right at Michael Porter Jr. a...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Nuggets huge win over the Golden State Warriors without Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, or Christian Braun. It was Aaron Gordon, Russell Westbrook, Michael Porter Jr., and a whole host of Nuggets that stepped up to match Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green. Ryan breaks down the win, some surprise performances, and mo...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn shares his final thoughts from this weekend's back-to-back vs the Lakers and Wizards. Then, he discusses how fatigue has been building in Denver due to subpar depth. Finally, he predicts the Nuggets playoff seeding and previews tonight's Nuggets-Warriors matchup on national TV. BETONLINE: The Game Starts Here! https://www.betonline.ag SCL M...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets 115-95 blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, a difficult blow after a great win in Oklahoma City on Monday. Do the T'Wolves own the Nuggets? Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook scored well, but the rest of the Nuggets looked absolutely gassed and couldn't handle the T'Wolves ball pressure. Ryan goes over...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets 140-127 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on the second night of a back-to-back. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray dominated together, the entire Nuggets rotation helped out along the way, and the Nuggets won their first game against a top four seed in the West since November 23rd. Ryan breaks down the game, the...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets 127-103 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder that was close until the fourth quarter. SGA, Chet Holmgren, and the Thunder ran away with it in the fourth, but Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets couldn't get it done. This was the first of two straight matchups between the Nuggets and Thunder, so Ryan talks about...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets 149-141 OT win over the Phoenix Suns as Nikola Jokic goes CRAZY with 31 points, 21 rebounds, and 22 assists. Jokic was fantastic, Christian Braun made some big shots, and the Nuggets outscored the Suns to an impressive win. Ryan breaks down Jokic's brilliance and more on the show. BETONLINE: The Game Starts He...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets 116-110 win over the Sacramento Kings. The Nuggets staged a comeback with Nikola Jokic off the floor, and all three of Russell Westbrook, Jamal Murray, and Zeke Nnaji played a major role. Denver's defense found a rhythm when they locked in as well. Ryan discusses the win, Russell Westbrook, Zeke Nnaji, the def...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the ramifications of Julian Strawther suffering an injury and being sidelined for a month. His absence coincides with the return of Peyton Watson from a similar injury, meaning the Nuggets should have some reinforcements. Ryan goes over the Strawther-Watson dynamic, some notable Two-Man Net Ratings 3/4 of the way through the sea...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn recaps the Denver Nuggets 110-103 loss to the Boston Celtics. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray showed up, but the Celtics caused confusion with their game plan that forced the ball into the hands of Christian Braun and Russell Westbrook. Michael Porter Jr. also struggled once again vs a great team. Ryan breaks down what happened, the good and...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn recaps the Denver Nuggets 121-112 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in which very little went right for Denver. Nikola Jokic was great offensively and good enough to win, but he didn't get enough help from the supporting cast. Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon especially struggled, while Jamal Murray was subpar. Add in some poor fourth quarter...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn goes over a lengthy Q&A from Denver Nuggets fans about a variety of Nuggets topics. From the playoff rotation, to possible first round opponents, to specific thoughts about Russell Westbrook, Peyton Watson, and Zeke Nnaji. Ryan discusses it all before previewing tonight's matchup between the Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks, a Nikola Jokic v...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets impressive 125-116 win over the Indiana Pacers. Nikola Jokic set the table for the entire team with a career-high 19 assists. Aaron Gordon had 25 points in 24 minutes. Michael Porter Jr. dominated inside the arc. Jamal Murray went 4-of-4 from three. Even Zeke Nnaji locked in. Ryan breaks down the all-around te...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn shares his final thoughts on Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers over the weekend, including Denver's inability to match up with the best teams on a consistent level. Ryan goes over the 40-20 rule, one thing he still needs to see from Denver in their final 25 games, and previews the upcoming four-game road trip. BETONLINE: The Game Starts...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets 129-115 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night. Jamal Murray had an efficient 34 points, Nikola Jokic had 29 points, 17 rebounds, and nine assists, and the Nuggets took care of business against an inferior team. Ryan breaks down Murray's performance, starting Christian Braun over Russell Westbrook, a...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets injury report and the implications of Russell Westbrook returning to the floor. How will Michael Malone and the Nuggets handle starting spots? What can Denver learn in the final 27 games? Ryan discusses the health of the roster, some numbers behind Denver's post All-Star break schedule, and previews tonight's...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn returns after the All-Star Break to discuss what happened in the NBA over All-Star weekend and why it was so disappointing. Then, he goes in-depth on just how good the Nuggets actually are compared to their last two seasons and if there's anything to learn from those years. Finally, Ryan discusses how many wins the Nuggets should be trying...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down last night's Jamal Murray masterclass, 55 points in a 132-121 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Nikola Jokic also had his 25th triple-double of the season. The Nuggets won their eighth game in a row heading into the All-Star break. What have we learned about the Nuggets so far? Can they win a title? Ryan discusses Murray's bi...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Denver Nuggets winning their seventh game in a row, this time in blowout fashion against the Portland Trail Blazers. Nikola Jokic dropped 40 points in just three quarters, making insane shots along the way. Jamal Murray played well before getting ejected in the fourth quarter. The biggest story was Jalen Pickett though, who ha...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn discusses the Denver Nuggets playing consistent basketball over the last few games, taking care of business and never truly being in trouble. Can they keep their six-game winning streak through the All-Star break? Ryan breaks down whether the Nuggets are an elite team, how long this winning streak can last, and then previews Nuggets vs Port...

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Denver Nuggets 112-90 win over the Orlando Magic on Thursday night. Denver rolled, and both Michael Porter Jr. and Nikola Jokic continued to dominate, this time against a very good defense. Ryan goes over the win before discussing the events of yesterday's NBA trade deadline. The Nuggets made no trades while other teams did. C...