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via Getty

via Getty

The Denver Nuggets‘ 2023?24 NBA season seems to be off to an exciting start. Since their first victory in franchise history last summer, the team’s confidence has received a significant boost by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in the season’s first game. Setting the winning tone, the celebration was joined by alpine skiing great Mikaela Shiffrin. She outperformed her competitors in her sport, becoming the only skier with 88 World Cup victories this March. Now, the NBA squad and this one-woman army, both of whom have experienced setbacks, are fueled to maintain their powerful positions.

Although the match-win status so far looks great for the Nuggets, the same isn’t the case for Shiffrin. After her missed podium finish as Ski Season began,?Mikaela called it a “challenging race.” Both sports have thrust their competitors into grueling journeys, with eyes watching them at every step of the way. After a fresh victory for the NBA team grabbed her attention, the mystery surrounding her perfect skills looms over questioning her once again.

Mikaela Shiffrin on the pedestal again

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On the first night of the NBA’s opening match, Nikola Jokic dominated the game with an astounding 33 points and an incredible 14 of 16 field goals. The 6’11” Serbian player led the Nuggets to an exciting 125-114 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, compelling coach Michael Malone to call him ?the definition of greatness.? On her own stratosphere with her records now, Mikaela joined in to congratulate on the victorious streak. In a Twitter(X) post by @nuggets captioned, Love this team,” she dropped a hand-heart emoji showing her admiration. Posing a direct threat to her dominant game being questioned; “Will The Queen of Slopes Win It All Like the 2023 NBA Champions?”

Meanwhile, at the Audi FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, she took the sixth spot. Shiffrin got off to a scorching start in the second leg by setting the second-fastest time, even though she was behind by a difficult 0.75 seconds. Despite trying so hard to close the distance she ended up 1.40 seconds behind the winner. In the end, she’s only human defining her error as ?trying for race mode not able to execute.??Her mindset was set before entering the laps, that no matter what, ?I?m(She’s) not going to complain about that.??

While Shiffrin can choose to prioritize herself, describing her attitude as “relaxed and flowy,” the same isn’t the case with the people around her. The internet began to speculate about her medal collection, hoping to reach 100 wins this season. Similar to the turn of events for the Nuggets this year, which has placed them above some of the best-performing teams in the NBA! For both Shiffrin and the Nuggets, even though this moment puts them in the spotlight, can they really live up to the hype? Obviously, there can’t be an 82-0 season for the Nuggets, and Mikaela can’t always win in all disciplines. However, the Nuggets have jumped to the top of the Western Conference with a near-perfect record.

Denver’s Nuggets powerful NBA opening

The Nuggets utilized twelve players in the first three quarters, showcasing their team’s depth and defeating the visiting Chicago Bulls 123-101 in the process. However, the victory was marred by Jamal Murray’s premature departure. The team picture captured all of its best players, with Michael Porter Jr. scoring 24 points and Murray contributing 18 points along with an outstanding 13 assists.

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USA Today via Reuters

Even though the Nuggets took an easy 20-point lead in the third quarter, the Dallas Mavericks made a late push that reduced the difference to an unsettling eight points. Finally, Nikola Jokic’s clutch layup gave the Nuggets its victory.

READ MORE Opinion: Are New Rules by Skiing Federation Enough to Protect the Environment Amid Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup

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Similar to an alpine skiing breather, the Nuggets will be on a little break after playing five games in seven days. The teams’ next two games will be against New Orleans (4-2) on Monday and the Golden State (5-1) on Wednesday. It’s time to gather their strength for these upcoming pivotal games because the season is already at an intense level. In a similar amusing case, Shiffrin is practicing her resilience in real-time will all eyes set on her next podium finish!

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