The Denver Nuggets, or what’s left of them, suited up for their second game in as many nights on Monday. All five of the starters sat with injuries or for rest — Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas were out as well. And so Jalen Pickett, Bruce Brown, Peyton Watson, Spencer Jones, and Daron Holmes II started against the Sixers in Philadelphia.
The Nuggets were 15.5-point underdogs, but anything can happen in the NBA, and something magical happened in Philly. Perhaps the most shorthanded team in the organization’s history went on the road and stole the least likely win of the season.
Final score: 125-124
Scrappy Nuggets
Now and then, the severely undermanned side can get out to a hot start in the NBA. The end-of-bench guys embrace their chance to play and hustle like it’s a playoff game. Not every player is on the opposing game plan, and human nature kicks in as well, with the opposition thinking they can cruise to an easy victory.
That’s how the first quarter started in Philadelphia, with Spencer Jones leading the way. He scored 8 points in the first two minutes and forty seconds of the game. He played some impressive defense on Tyrese Maxey as well.
The makeshift Nuggets fought hard to mitigate their deficiencies. They double-teamed Joel Embiid and rebounded as a team to try to make up for the lack of size. On offense, they found success with the three-pointer, making the extra pass, and letting it fly when left open.
Remarkably, the game was tied at halftime. The effort carried over to the second half and even the overtime period, when Denver stole one by the skin of their teeth.
Jalen Pickett Steps Up
Without seven of Denver’s best players, a handful of role players had to step up and be aggressive. Pickett answered the call. He buried four threes in the first half, leading Denver in both shot attempts and points. Only Joel Embiid scored more in the first half.
Pickett kept it going in the third, knocking down a couple more threes, including a filthy step back after sizing up Embiid. You could see his confidence grow throughout the game, and by the end of the night, he was walking and talking differently.
Pickett is in the rotation for the shorthanded Nuggets, but he doesn’t get a long runway to find a rhythm and make an impact. When he’s on the floor with Denver’s best players, he plays his role as a supplementary piece, and occasionally fades too far into the background. But he was front and center in Philadelphia.
Pickett finished with 29-5-7.
All Hands On Deck
The Nuggets played with just nine active players in Philly, and they all touched the floor, all the way down to Curtis Jones. Pickett earned a spot in the headlines, but it was a group effort to secure the least likely win of the season. Peyton Watson played like a top option, crossing the 20-point threshold again. Zeke Nnaji joined the same club and played the best game of his career. Even Hunter Tyson got hot, scoring 14 points in 20 minutes.
They worked together as a group, spreading the ball around on offense, rotating as if their lives depended on it, and fighting hard as a unit on the glass. The Nuggets were even in the rebounding battle despite playing with no centers. Gang rebounding was essential.
