Watch: Braxton Key catches an insane lob to send Chicago Bulls-Denver Nuggets preseason game to overtime
The Denver Nuggets and the Chicago Bulls had arguably the most exciting game of the 2023-24 NBA preseason on Thursday night. After rallying from 14 points down, Denver was trailing 112-110 with 0.6 seconds remaining. Nuggets forward Braxton Key then converted on an insane one-handed banked-in alley-oop tip-in over two defenders to force overtime. The lob pass was timed perfectly by fellow Nuggets forward Hunter Tyson. However, the Bulls’ defense was more than ready to contest the play, making Key’s finish even more impressive.
Unfortunately for Key and the Nuggets, they went on to lose 133-124 in double OT. Nonetheless, Key’s highlight finish was still the most memorable moment from the otherwise inconsequential game.
Check out Braxton Key’s highlight alley-oop tip-in below:
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Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic not ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s NBArank 2023
Denver Nuggets superstar big man Nikola Jokic is coming off one of the most dominant playoff runs in NBA history. The two-time MVP averaged 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game over 20 games en route to leading Denver to its first title in franchise history. However, it still wasn’t enough to earn Jokic the top spot in ESPN’s “NBArank 2023.”
After coming in at No. 2 in last year’s ranking, Jokic appeared to be a no-brainer to claim the No. 1 spot entering this season. However, ESPN still went with Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, despite the Bucks coming off a first-round exit. Meanwhile, Jokic was once again ranked No. 2.
According to ESPN, Jokic was barely edged out by Antetokounmpo:
“Jokic didn't care much for winning a third-straight MVP down the stretch of the regular season due to the discourse surrounding the race. But he left no doubt who was the best player in the Finals, becoming the first player in history to lead the postseason in points, rebounds and assists. The Suns, Lakers and Heat had no answer,” ESPN wrote.
“In these rankings, Jokic was edged out by mere percentage points by a fellow two-time MVP big man.”
Jokic’s ranking left many wondering what more the big man has to do to move up. So, following the news of his ranking, the Nuggets offered a simple, yet fitting response on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The team posted a photo of the two-time MVP holding his 2023 NBA championship and Finals MVP trophies. However, the Nuggets didn’t include any caption as the picture speaks for itself.
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