Half of McGregor Square came dressed for church. The other half prayed for a miracle that never came.

“I think it shows our persistence,” Charlie “Chuck” Friesleben told me early Saturday night before the first-ever dueling, simultaneous Nuggets-Avalanche Game 7s got off the ground. “And how you should never root against us. Because we’re so cool.”

Chuck — not named for Charles Barkley, mom Cari and dad Matthew assured me — showed up at Tom’s Watch Bar Saturday clad in her best Nuggets blue.

She’s 10. She plays point guard in club hoops. Hunter Tyson is her favorite Nugget. You don’t mess with Chuck. Or big sister Addie.

“We’re going to destroy (the Clippers)” Charlie assured me in a voice that would make Sly Stallone curl into a fetal position.

“Why?” I asked.

Chuck shrugged.

“We have the best players,” she said.

Best fans, too. By a country mile.

At least 1,000 of them packed LoDo late Saturday afternoon to watch history. A third wore Nuggets gold. Another third had Avalanche burgundy. Another third walked in sporting funny hats and skirts — their Kentucky Derby finest.

An hour to tip, the line in front of Tom’s ran 16 deep.

“Free shots,” a woman shouted as she passed by with outstretched arms, offering a drink ticket to those stuck waiting on the sidewalk. “Free shots from The Mill if you want it!”

Five minutes later, a loud voice cried out from the host stand.

“We don’t have table space!” a Tom’s staffer shouted. “It’s just standing room. I’m letting you know now, in case you want to …”

Nobody left.

Not a soul.

Dueling Game 7s. Biggest sports bar in LoDo.

The Mile High City had come too far to turn back now.

“What’s capacity at floor level?” I asked Dan Stillman, the vested operating partner at Tom’s, a tall gentleman with a walkie-talkie hooked onto his belt.

“It’s about 350 downstairs,” he replied, eyes scanning the crowd. “We’re probably close already.”

It was 4:45 p.m.

“Difficulty-wise, it’s going to be a little bit (snug) because we have two games at the same time,” Dan continued, “and we don’t have our full capacity available to us.”

That was because a giant Kentucky Derby watch party — “that seated another couple hundred,” Stillman noted — had paid a nice chunk of change to reserve the second level.

“So far, everybody seems to be in an upbeat mood,” Stillman said. “Obviously, this is a huge day, two Game 7s. And all we’re really looking for is two wins so we can move on and do this all over again next week.”

Amen.

At 5:50, Michael Porter Jr. rose and drained a 3-pointer that put the Nuggets up 13-11. From 0.7 of a mile away to the north and east, Tom’s rose right along with him.

At 6:05 p.m. Bernie, the Avalanche mascot, popped up to pose for pictures and hold court.

At 6:17, the big dog jumped onto the bar, Coyote Ugly style, and began banging 1-2, 1-2-3s on a cowbell.

“LET’S GO AVA-LANCHE!” Tom’s shouted in unison.

Donk, donk, donk-donk-donk!

“LET’S GO AVA-LANCHE!”

Donk, donk, donk-donk-donk!

For Fiona Deck of Aurora, who was splitting nachos outside with Max Franzman, being at Tom’s was as much about good luck and good karma as it was good food.

After all, she watched the Avs clinch the Stanley Cup against the Lightning here in June 2022. Then saw the Nuggets topple the Heat to win the NBA title while at Tom’s a year later.

“This is the home base,” Deck said.

At 6:32, Big Val Nichushkin got high-sticked onto the ice by — who else? — the Stars’ Jamie Benn. While the Russian winger was picking up teeth, Avs fans in LoDo held up four fingers for the double minor.

“It’s been crazy,” Franzman gushed. “I’m excited. I think it’s good having two good teams.

“Everyone kind of shows out, whether you’re wearing gold or you’re wearing red — you’re just coming out. It’s nice having two teams to root for. Hopefully both go (forward), but you could be for one or the other.”

Deck nodded.

“I just think Denver fans are awesome,” Fiona added. “I think we always show up and have fun and support all of our teams, whether we win or lose. I think it’s all about everyone just coming out and, like Max said, repping their gear and just hanging out with friends, building community. And hopefully seeing them win.”

How freaked out was Clips owner Steve Ballmer about Denver fans? The gazillionaire flexed his wallet to ship 125 or so Clippers faithful to Denver, providing them with round-trip flights, free tickets, and free transportation to and from Ball Arena.

Oh, yeah. This is personal now.

“I just am so excited to have kids like grow up in this amazing city, where they have an opportunity in one day to watch two huge games that put our city on the map for the day,” said Cari, who eventually found a sun-drenched table outside with husband Matthew and daughters Chuck and Addie. “And we’re so lucky to live here.”

“You mad that the leagues put these games on at the same time?” I asked.

“Yes,” Matthew sighed.

“Oh, it’s awful,” Cari said. “We had to get here (early), baking in the sun, to be able to watch four hours of pregame of a horse race.”

Nikola Jokic had to wait for a horse race to finish before he could tip off in a Game 7. Ah, irony.

Charlie wore a Nuggets T-shirt to the party. Sister Addie turned up in an Avs sweater.

“The Avs are going to win, 3-1,” Addie said.

“What did you call it?” Matthew asked. “Shutout?”

“3-1,” Addie said.

“That’s a lot of faith in Mackenzie Blackwood on the road,” I said.

“Obviously, they’re both fighting in the playoffs, so I think (Game 7) will be one of his best games,” Addie reasoned. “And then, just like the Stars knocked us off last year (at home), we’re going to knock them out this year.”

Dad nodded. They never said it would be easy on the eyes. Or their hearts. Matthew and Addie even flew down to Game 1 in Dallas to witness those loopy Texans for themselves.

Mind you, after watching Mikko Rantanen notch a hat trick to eliminate his former team and walk all over his old hometown, April 19 feels like years ago now. Light years.

On the bright side, the early birds walked away happy. The Nuggets stomped Ballmer and his freeloaders, 120-101.

What’d we say?

Charlie doesn’t mess around.

“They lost communication at the end,” she told me after the game, a point guard to the last. “But they got it back. It worked out.”

And one outta two ain’t bad, in hindsight. But man, did that second one hurt.