Pickaxe and Roll

Ryan Blackburn and Swipa discuss the last week of Denver Nuggets basketball, including a big win over the Boston Celtics and a mostly great performance vs the Utah Jazz. The Nuggets are now 44-20 and are playing great basketball, though they were clearly bored and weren't precise at times. Can the Nuggets earn the top seed in the West down the stretch? Or will they lose games that they shouldn't l...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to Thursday night's Denver Nuggets win over the Boston Celtics as the Nuggets make a championship statement over the team with the best record in the NBA. Nikola Jokic was incredible. Jamal Murray was good enough. Aaron Gordon caught a million lobs. Peyton Watson was impactful off the bench. The Nuggets know they can beat the Celtics in a playoff series, and Ryan goes over al...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Denver Nuggets 117-107 overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. The Nuggets had plenty of opportunities to win in the fourth quarter but couldn't capitalize. Ryan discusses Denver going down early, working their way back, and how Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, and the team nearly won the game but ultimately went down. Ryan also previews the Nuggets Thursday mat...

Ryan Blackburn shares hangover takes from the Denver Nuggets matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers over the weekend, discussing LeBron James setting his record and what comes after LeBron retires? Could Nikola Jokic become the face of the NBA? Then, Ryan discusses Justin Holiday's role in Denver and why he's become so helpful for Michael Malone. Finally, Ryan goes over the most important games remai...

Ryan Blackburn is joined by Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette to break down the Denver Nuggets 103-97 win over the Miami Heat in a hard fought victory that was very reminiscent of the NBA Finals last June. Michael Porter Jr. went off for 30 points and 11 rebounds, picking up the slack when Jamal Murray rolled his ankle in the second quarter. Ryan and Vinny discuss Nikola Jokic vs Bam Adebayo,...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to last night's blowout win over the Sacramento Kings as Jamal Murray goes off for 32 points and six assists, missing just two shots on the evening. The Nuggets took awhile to get into the game, but once they did, they showcased a championship gear. Ryan breaks down the slow start, the quick turnaround, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com f...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Denver Nuggets 119-103 win over the Golden State Warriors as Nikola Jokic makes history with 32 points, 16 rebounds, 16 assists, and 4 steals in a big time matchup vs Draymond Green. Jamal Murray returned to the floor and outplayed Stephen Curry in his minutes, and the Nuggets got what they needed from their rotation to survive an early outburst from Klay Thompson. Rya...

On the latest episode of Weekends with Swipa, Ryan Blackburn and Swipa breaks down the Denver Nuggets 127-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Michael Porter Jr. led the way with 34 points and 12 rebounds, while Nikola Jokic added another monster triple-double. The Nuggets are rolling after the All-Star Break, so Ryan and Swipa discuss the most encouraging aspects of the last two games. They a...

Ryan Blackburn is joined by Matt Brooks of the Denver Nuggets digital team to break down Denver's impressive win over the Washington Wizards. Nikola Jokic notched an epic triple-double, his first against the Wizards. Jokic now has a triple-double against every team he's faced in the NBA. Ryan and Matt break down Jokic's MVP chances, Denver's first performance after the All-Star Break, and what to...

Get your limited edition "Joker" tee here: https://denver-stiffs.square.site/product/mhs-joker-shirt/52 Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Post All-Star Break schedule the Denver Nuggets will face in what is a competitive race for the top seed in the Western Conference. Ryan breaks down the most pressing concerns and what the Nuggets have left to prove, if anything, before the 2024 NBA Playo...

Get your limited edition "Joker" tee here: https://denver-stiffs.square.site/product/mhs-joker-shirt/52 Ryan Blackburn returns from the All-Star Break to discuss the game and the festivities. He discusses Denver Nuggets practice on Tuesday before focusing on Nikola Jokic, who just turned 29 a couple days ago. Ryan goes back down memory lane and shares 29 moments from Nikola Jokic's caree...

Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets 102-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings to extend Denver's losing streak to three games. The Nuggets missed Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope when matching up with the Kings backcourt featuring De'Aaron Fox. Nikola Jokic didn't step up, nor was Michael Porter Jr. good enough when it matted. The Nuggets are suffering from depth problems though, the...

Ryan Blackburn and Swipa go over the Denver Nuggets losses to the Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks to finish a 1-2 road trip. They discuss what went wrong, why the losses were so bad, and whether fans should be concerned. They talk about whether there are ramifications for these Nuggets performances heading into the playoffs, then discuss the ESPN Straw Poll placing Nikola Jokic on top of the...

Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets 8-point win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Mamba Night, honoring Kobe Bryant after his tragic passing. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. put together special performances, while Jokic had 24 points himself. The Nuggets and Lakers fought hard, but the better team won, again. Ryan discusses the game, the honoring of Kobe, and wraps up trade deadline di...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the trades made around the NBA on Wednesday, including former Denver Nuggets point guard Monte Morris going from the Detroit Pistons to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ryan discusses Denver's stance on trades, whether the Nuggets have enough to win a championship without a move, and where the NBA playoff pecking order stands currently. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company....

Ryan Blackburn and Swipa discuss the Denver Nuggets latest 112-103 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Peyton Watson and Christian Braun shined off the bench for the Nuggets, and Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray each had strong performances to push Denver over the top. Ryan and Swipa discuss the latest iterations of the Nuggets bench, whether they're worried about Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr.,...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Denver Nuggets 120-108 win on Friday night vs the Portland Trail Blazers as Nikola Jokic returns to the floor and picks up a MONSTER triple-double. Jokic dominated the middle of the floor vs the Blazers, and that was enough for the Nuggets, even with Jamal Murray having such a poor shooting night. Ryan discusses the game, Jokic's health, and more. Hosted by Simplecast,...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Denver Nuggets 105-100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Yes, it was without Nikola Jokic, but the Thunder have now defeated the Nuggets three separate times. Are the Thunder a bigger threat to the Nuggets than we may have realized? Ryan goes over the game, what makes OKC a tough challenge for Denver, and discusses the final two weeks of the regular...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Denver Nuggets 113-107 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in an impressive clutch performance for Denver. Jamal Murray got buckets, Nikola Jokic did everything else, and the Nuggets played great defense against Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Peyton Watson was also spectacular off the bench. Ryan gives credit to the defense, talks Jokic vs Giannis, and also Michael...

Ryan Blackburn and Swipa react to yesterday's Denver Nuggets win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Joel Embiid was a late scratch on the injury report, and Nuggets fans were incredibly disappointed not to see the big man play despite being active 20 minutes before the game. Ryan and Swipa react to the Nuggets winning an ugly game, Embiid's ducking, have an MVP debate, and much more. Hosted by Simplecas...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Denver Nuggets 122-84 loss to the New York Knicks to end a five-game road trip. The Knicks are a good team, but they aren't 38 points better, even if Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and OG Anunoby dominated. The Nuggets struggled mightily, including Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., though Nikola Jokic did his best to keep the Nuggets afloat. Ryan discusses what went...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to Denver Nuggets 114-109 win over the Indiana Pacers as Nikola Jokic hit a game-clinching dagger three-pointer in the closing seconds. Jokic and Jamal Murray were each excellent in this game, and the Nuggets were able to win despite a staunch effort from TJ McConnell, Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam, and the Pacers. Ryan goes over the game, the Jokic-Murray minute patterns, a...

Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets 113-104 win over the Washington Wizards as Nikola Jokic goes for 42 points in a near triple-double effort. The Wizards chose to single cover Jokic, and the Nuggets obliged by having Jokic cook for the first three quarters, ultimately reaching 40 points by the end of the game. Ryan discusses Jokic's dominance, Jamal Murray's inefficient shooting on Sund...

On the latest episode of Weekends with Swipa, Ryan and Swipa break down last night's epic matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics in which Denver handed Boston their first home loss of the season. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were spectacular in a Finals Throwback performance, and the Nuggets had just enough around them to get the job done. Ryan and Swipa go over the game, discuss D...

Ryan Blackburn shares his final takes from the Denver Nuggets loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday before transitioning to Friday's matchup with the Boston Celtics. The Celtics are undefeated at home, and the Nuggets are coming off a tough loss. Can anything the Nuggets do stop the Celtics from winning on Friday? Ryan goes over the matchup and why it could be an NBA Finals preview in June. Ho...