Photos: Arizona Diamondbacks At Washington Nationals

There came a miniature breaking point for Michael Malone last week after yet another question about the in-season tournament. “I think everybody’s doing the right thing and saying all the right things, like ‘This is a big in-season game tonight,'” Malone said before the Nuggets’ group stage finale in Houston. “Well for me, we’re 1-3 on the road trip.

Mike McGlinchey dabbed at his eyes as he tried to explain the unexplainable. At his locker this week, the Broncos right tackle was asked about his footwear choice this weekend as players across the league represent causes near and dear for My Cause, My Cleats weekend. Few will hit closer to home than McGlinchey’s. His cousin, Dan McCain, died this summer after a life spent wrestling with a series of lung and heart issues. Through those challenges, though, McCain was McGlinchey’s most ardent supporter. “Dan was my biggest fan and he was my best friend and biggest supporter,” McGlinchey said.

They needed to fend off a second-half surge from the Suns, but the Nuggets held on Friday in Phoenix for a 119-111 win over one of the top contenders in the West. Denver (14-6) shot 57% from the field and only turned the ball over nine times to win its fourth consecutive game.

LeBron’s on the fade. Steph Curry’s supporting cast is slipping. Do you hand it to Patrick Mahomes again? Kirby Smart? Ick. In Sports Illustrated’s defense, while 2023 proved to be a solid year for storylines, it was a down one as far as North American sports icons. The guys who sell magazines. Enter Deion Sanders. The Grading The Week team loves them some Coach Prime.

The Colorado Avalanche has done a lot of winning in the first leg of the 2023-24 NHL season, but it’s also managed to stack several potentially demoralizing losses. Arizona scored in overtime Thursday night to give the Avs (15-6-1) their first post-regulation defeat, but the context of the goal was particularly stunning.

Around the AFC Tight race so far. The four teams atop the AFC each have three losses, making for a tight race for the top seed six weeks from the end of the season. Baltimore is 9-3 and has this week off. Kansas City, Jacksonville and Miami are all 8-3 and playing this weekend.