The first round of the playoffs is coming to a close in both the NBA and the NHL, and the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche are both playing in a Game 7 with their respective series tied at three games apiece. The Avalanche scored seven goals at Ball Arena to keep their season alive on Thursday night, while a flat-footed third quarter was the difference for the Nuggets in a loss against the LA Clippers on Thursday.
With no other games being played in either league that day, that means it will be a great day for Denver sports fans to watch their respective teams. Right?
Wrong.
In a decision that is puzzling to many fans in the area, the two games willl start 30 minutes apart, just like they did on Thursday night. While it’s great action for fans at a bar or fans who have multiple screens, that’s not the reality for the majority of people. In turn, most fans have to flip the channel back and forth and end up missing key moments in one game while trying to watch the other team.
There is ONE NBA Game 7 on Saturday.
There is ONE NHL Game 7 on Saturday.
Both involve teams from Denver in huge leagues.
And they start 30 minutes apart. How remarkably dumb.
— Will Petersen (@PetersenWill) May 2, 2025
The Nuggets will start at 5:30 p.m. Denver Time from Ball Arena (TNT) while the Avalanche will start at 6 p.m. Denver time from the American Airlines Center in Dallas (ABC).
Not only does this decision affect Denver fans’ ability to watch their favorite team, it will certainly have an impact on the ratings for each game. While hockey fans around the country and basketball fans around the country will watch the Nuggets, both networks will lose out on viewership due to people in the Denver market watching one or the other, instead of both.
The only time this has happened before is on May 15, 2022, when the Dallas Stars and the Dallas Mavericks both played in a Game 7 in the evening on that day. The Mavericks beat the Suns in one of the most infamous Game 7 beatdowns in NBA history, while the Stars lost in overtime to the Calgary Flames.
The Nuggets and the Avalanche are hoping to change history and both emerge victorious on Saturday.
For all the diehard fans out there, cancel your Saturday afternoon plans, order a pizza or two, and get ready for a nerve-racking evening as the Nuggets and the Avs aim to keep their season alive. If the first six games of each series have taught fans anything, it’s that none of these games will be easy to win for the teams from the Mile High City.
