David Adelman
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With the Denver Nuggets' entire starting five out due to injury, David Adelman will turn exclusively to his bench on Monday, January 5.
TheDenver Nuggets have been building towards this day for the last month, and it has finally arrived against thePhiladelphia 76ers on Monday, January 5th: the team’s entire starting five from the beginning of the season is out of the lineup due to injury.
The Nuggets weathered the storm on January 2 against theCleveland Cavaliers, with guard Jamal Murray as the only starter to play in a 113-108. Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun both returned from injury on January 4 against theBrooklyn Nets to give Denver three out of its starting five in a 127-115 loss.
But now, all three players will sit on the second night of a back-to-back for the Nuggets nursing some kind of ailment, leaving head coach David Adelman to turn exclusively to his bench to try to take on the Sixers, who have won three consecutive games.
Denver Nuggets Injury Report For Tonight
Theofficial injury report for the Nuggets tonight is littered with key players.
Murray will miss his first game of the season with a left ankle sprain, which he played through the last two games. Gordon (right hamstring strain) and Braun (left ankle sprain) will both rest after returning from lengthy injury absences on Sunday. Nikola Jokic (left knee bone bruise) is out with a hyperextended left knee which he sustained against theMiami Heat on December 29. Cameron Johnson (right knee bone bruise) will miss his seventh consecutive game.
Other players who will miss Monday’s game against Philadelphia include Jonas Valanciunas (right calf strain) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (illness). As they did against the Cavaliers, the Nuggets will likely run out a starting lineup of DaRon Holmes II, Spencer Jones, Jalen Pickett and Peyton Watson, with Bruce Brown taking the place of Murray.
Denver Nuggets Must Stay Afloat Without Nikola Jokic
Aside from tonight, the Nuggets will have to figure out how to stay afloat in the Western Conference without Nikola Jokic, who was in the midst of another MVP-caliber season before he got hurt. The center was averaging 29.6 points and a league-leading 12.2 rebounds and 11 assists while shooting a ridiculous 60.5% from the field and 43.5% from three. He will miss at least four weeks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Denver will look to rely mostly on Murray, who is having his best season in the NBA, for the next month or so. The guard is averaging a career-high 25.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists. If he has to miss significant time, it could spell the end of the Nuggets’ season.