To say that I felt extra excited about this event is a major understatement! I had purchased tickets to a Denver Nuggets game as a Valentine’s Day present for my sister. In addition, I had purchased a top and a hat with this event in mind. The top in question? A white Denver Nuggets shirt with blue sleeves and a blue hood. The hat is also a fun one, a blue one with yellow Denver Nuggets logos all over. For this event, I had paired these two items with black jeans and gray high tops. After working an evening shift at work, my sister picked me right up from work and we made the ride down to Denver.
On our way down, we stopped by QuikTrip for some food, and we loved it. After braving a stormy ride, we made it to Ball Arena and we were ready for fun! However, it took some time for the fun to begin, as the game got off to what felt like a very frustrating start. Throughout much of the first half, it felt like the Grizzlies had a massive advantage and were making the Nuggets look like their motivation to do better was missing. Memphis’ 58 points (27 in the first quarter, 31 in the second quarter) in the first half compared to Denver’s first half total of 50 points (28 in the first quarter and 22 in the second quarter) contributed to the feeling.
I had really been looking forward to meeting the mascot, Rocky, a very handsome kitty cat. Unfortunately, by the time my sister and I were able to get to him, it was time for Rocky to return to the court to cheer on the team. Of course, this made me feel extremely frustrated as indicated by me saying, “Oh, great, just great!” when I realized we had arrived far too late. Luckily, my sister had a backup plan, and we went to a Toyota booth so that I could participate in an activity that would help direct my attention to something different. I give her major credit for this. This helped me manage my frustration and put me in a healthier headspace.
My frustration with how the evening was playing out was still present, however, as I had used written communication to tell my sister that I had felt like the night was turning out to be a waste of money. Luckily, the night began to turn around, as it was now Denver’s half to shine. Their 63-point second half (30 in the third quarter and 33 in the fourth quarter) compared to the 39-point second half that the Grizzlies had (22 in the third quarter and 17 in the fourth quarter) demonstrated that.
During the second half, I heard the Guns n Roses song Sweet Child O Mine playing, specifically, the extremely catchy-to-me opening instrumental. As soon as I heard it, I told my sister, “Please tell me you hear what I am hearing,” and she said she did. Since the Nuggets returned to victory-motivated mode within moments of the song being played, and ended up winning 113-97, I now associate Sweet Child O Mine with positive Denver Nuggets energy.
The happiness flooded over me when I saw the Nuggets win. I felt so excited and so relieved when they came back. Of course, the entire team made me proud, but Nikola Jokic really blew me away! Although fans were instructed to remain quiet when it was his turn to do free-throws, everyone chanted “M-V-P!” anyway to show their support of the beloved fan favorite, and of course I had to join in. Nikola is tied for first place with Jamal Murray as my favorite Nuggets player for a massive reason.
Hearing the fans chant, “Let’s go Nuggets!” was a great way to end the night. I loved listening to the fans express their love of the team! Nuggets fans are amazing. Being surrounded with people who want all the best things for the hometown team and love the team with everything they have means the world to me. Nuggets Nation is a fantastic fan community, at least from my perspective. Last but not least, chicken nuggets from McDonald’s to celebrate! I can think of few things better than starting a weekend with a basketball game and a delicious meal.
All in all, I loved my experience at the Nuggets game. Can’t wait to attend more in the future. Let’s go Nuggets!
SOURCES:
https://www.espn.com/nba/playbyplay/_/gameId/401469107
Elephants & Extra Base Hits 