Peyton Watson Bruce Brown Jalen Pickett Zeke Nnaji
Coming into their primetime showdown with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Denver Nuggets were counted out by many folks. Their entire starting five, of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson was out. As were Jonas Valanciunas,Tim Hardaway Jr, and Julian Strawther.
On the second leg of a back-to-back and on the road, it didn’t seem there was much confidence in the Nuggets. Consider that they faced a relatively healthy Philly team, with three All-Stars on the court. What happened was incredible.
Jalen Pickett went off for a career-high of 29 points. Peyton Watson continued to shine, while Zeke Nnaji proved a lot of doubters wrong with a career-night.
Bruce Brown made the play of the night, taking a loose ball and sprinting for the full-court, game-winning lay-up in overtime.
The Nuggets shockingly managed a 125-124 victory over the Sixers on the road.
Jalen Pickett + Strength In Numbers
The Denver Nuggets made surprising changes very late last season. Head Coach Mike Malone and GM Calvin Booth were let go with just three games left in the year. One of the biggest points of contention from Booth was that Malone was playing Russell Westbrook over Jalen Pickett.
Pickett, who has only averaged five points per game on the season, shined as the team’s top option last night. He posted a line of 29-5-7 while hitting 11 of 20 shots (7-11 3PT).
Peyton Watson has improved his game with every passing season, and has now scored 20+ points in four consecutive contests. Entering the NBA Draft four years ago, Watson averaged just three points and three boards per game in college. He did not start a game for UCLA either, but was a first-round pick because of his defensive prowess.
His aggression was integral for his team.
Zeke Nnaji has been in and out of the Nuggets rotation during his six years with the team. While most folks have expected to see him traded for the last few campaigns, the big man out of Ohio State had the game of his NBA life last night.
The big man finished with 21 points and eight rebounds, hitting seven of 11 shots and adding two steals and two blocks. He entered the game averaging three points and two rebounds per game.
The spread for the game was Philadelphia -15 coming in. The Nuggets have rarely had to play without both Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, but they came ready to play. At 24-12, they currently sit at #4 in the Western Conference.
The Denver Nuggets May Be NBA’s Most Intriguing Team
Depth wins basketball games in the association, and Denver clearly proved it last night. Jalen Pickett knocked in a major three-pointer in overtime, and the defense helped carry them the rest of the way.
Few teams can win a nationally televised game against a team with the likes of Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe, while being down five starters.
This is the type of game that may not have happened for the Nuggets in recent years. Rookie Spencer Jones came through. A team that has been called out for having a poor bench for years, beat a playoff-caliber team with only reserves.
Sure, this was only one game. But it says that Denver is here to stay. That when they are at full strength, they have a plethora of options that they can role with.
This might be the most intriguing team in the NBA.