Two game winners from two of the best in the world at their respective sports for two top Denver sports teams, all in one night. Game winners from Nikola Jokic and Nathan McKinnon led to victories for their respective teams, and also some incredible radio calls. Denver7 spoke to both of the play-by-play announcers the morning after making those calls.
“From 45 feet… GOT IT! AT THE HORN! NIKOLA JOKIC BURIES THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS!”
That was the call from Jason “Koz” Kosmicki on Altitude Sports Radio, as the Nuggets won at the buzzer, 130 to 127.
“It’s one of those deals where it’s like out-of-body. You’re watching yourself call this stuff. And then, after you hear it on the radio going home or whatever, and there’s this moment of embarrassment like, 'Man, why are you yelling so loud?'” he joked during a Friday morning interview. “I’m sure I wasn’t the only person in the Rocky Mountain region yelling. I just happened to have a microphone in front of me.”
On the ice, the Colorado Avalanche skated into overtime with the Dallas Stars. That’s when Nathan MacKinnon chipped the puck past a defender, went on a breakaway, and Conor McGahey did the rest on Altitude Sports Radio.
“Can he win it in overtime? MacKinnon… YOU BET HE CAN! THE MAC ATTACK IS BACK, JACK!”
That sealed the comeback win for the Avalanche over the Stars, 5 to 4.
“Who knows what I say half the time? Throw stuff at the wall and see if it sticks,” he also joked on Friday.
McGahey added that his normal way to close out an OT winner comes from a 90s hit.
“You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here is from ‘Closing Time’ (by) Semisonic. And it just came out one time and people liked it so I stuck with it ever since,” he explained.
Denver7 asked each play-by-play man about the night of game-deciding plays by arguably the two best players in their sports on the planet.
"That type of theater is rare in sports but it seems to be less rare with these teams," McGahey said. “We are so spoiled with where we are and I hope people know that.”
“It's not gonna be long from now where we’re gonna be having a cold beer somewhere and somebody’s gonna say, ‘Remember we had Joker and MacKinnon in Denver. Weren’t those the greatest times?' Yes they are the greatest times, so embrace them and enjoy them,” Kosmicki added.
