This one took me a few days. I don't envy any journalists who had to push through the pain and still write about Sunday's news about Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the other poor souls who perished in that tragic helicopter crash. I can't imagine how hard that was. Myself? I wasn't really sure what to do with this post, because who cares about the outcome of a basketball game when you just heard something terrible like that happened?

But there was a game, I was there and I promised that I would share my observations from every one that I attended. So I'm going to do my best to do just that.

1. My fiance and I were on our way to The Can when a breaking news alert came on over the radio. At first, there was only music playing and it seemed like the station was experiencing a technical difficulty. I now assume that they were just confirming the story before reporting it on the air, as they then shared the news that Kobe Bryant had died. We were stunned. I think we still are because regardless of your opinion of the man, it's just unfathomable to believe that the Mamba is gone. It's horrific beyond belief that his daughter and those other people also perished in crash. It is a completely dismal story no matter how you look at it.
2. Had I been aware of this news a bit earlier, I would've made it a point to arrive sooner for the game. We didn't get to our seats until nearly tip-off and wound up missing the moment of silence that was held for Kobe. I would've liked to have been there for that, but again, we had no idea until we were already on our way to the game.
3. Other accounts may differ based on their experience from Sunday, but I didn't sense a ton of restlessness from the crowd. I overheard a few fans chatting about the news here and there. Otherwise, it would've been hard to tell that this wasn't just another game. Maybe the crowd was as stunned as I was and didn't know how to react, or maybe I was too lost in my own thoughts to accurately gauge the situation, but that's my opinion. Regardless, the house was packed and the home crowd was behind the Nuggets.
4. You have to hand it to the Rockets: down James Harden and dealing with their own emotions after hearing the news, they still erupted for a 36-point first quarter and were difficult to stop all game. Sure, the Nuggets were missing some players as well and the refs did their part to help out the Rockets (per usual), but it just seemed like maybe the Rockets are that itch that the good guys can never scratch. If it wasn't for Jerami Grant finding his shot, this one could've gotten out of hand in a hurry. Thankfully, things turned as the game went on.
5. A big part of that turnaround gets credited to Nikola Jokic's quiet brilliance. 24 points, 11 assists and 12 rebounds would be a milestone of a stat line for most players in the league. For Jokic, it's just another day at the office. His presence allows the Nuggets to withstand injuries to key players while keeping pace with the Clippers and Jazz in the Western Conference hierarchy.
6. How about some good news from Sunday? Rocky brought down some children to center court during a break, supposedly so they could participate in an easier version of his half-court shot. He then surprised them with their mother, who was returning from her most recent tour of active service (I'm pretty sure it was with the Air Force, but I'm not 100 percent on that). It was a touching moment and a nice reprieve from the dark cloud that hung over the entire NBA.
7. The halftime show was a bit more lighthearted, featuring a performance by Steve Max, a professional Simon Sez caller. I had no idea this was a thing and rolled my eyes at first, but it was actually pretty funny. Steve brought down various fans, grouped the guys and the girls together and had them play Simon Says with him until only one guy and girl were left. This didn't take long, as most of them were terrible at it (not surprising considering they probably haven't played since they were in school). Still, it was a lot more entertaining than I thought it would be.
8. If you've read any of my past posts, you may be aware that I'm not a huge fan of The Wave at sporting events. Rocky appeared in the section next to ours and tried to get the crowd to start The Wave. Not cool, Rocky. Not cool. He made up for this though when it was his turn for his half-court shot, and he drained it on the first attempt. I have a feeling that one was for the Mamba.
9. I've said previously that too much roster depth can sometimes be a bad thing in basketball, but it's been a boon lately for the Nuggets. Guys like Grant, Monte Morris and MPJ have kept the ceiling from caving in on Denver's season while they're nowhere close to full strength. If the injury woes continue, I don't think you're going to see any trades from the Nuggets until the offseason.
10. After the good guys prevailed, Monte Morris was interviewed and they asked him how hard it was to play this game after hearing about Kobe. That's the level of influence that the Mamba had on this league and sports in general. Guys who never played against him or barely knew him were still shaken to the core by his death.