DALLAS — It looked like the Grinch looted Peyton Watson’s locker two days before Christmas.
Watson watched his first opportunity at a game-winning buzzer beater in the NBA circumnavigate the cup before it spun off the rim and sealed the Nuggets’ 131-130 loss to the Mavericks on Tuesday at American Airlines Center. The fourth-year wing sensed the ball was coming his way given the way the Mavericks had been sending a crowd to Nikola Jokic when he got the ball in the middle of the court.
“I felt like I knew the ball was coming. I felt like I knew the shot was coming,” Watson said.
The Nuggets host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas night, Watson’s first chance at redemption.
“I think that everybody on our team, our coaching staff and Nikola trust me to shoot that shot –- (to) take and make it. There’s a silver lining to everything,” he said.
When reality set in, Watson crumpled onto the court with his teammates ready to celebrate a walk-off win on the biggest shot of his young career. After leaving the court, he sat despondently in front of his locker before showering and addressing media. In the meantime, Cam Johnson, who dealt with his own frustration after exiting with a right knee bone bruise, walked gingerly toward Watson to offer encouragement. Tim Hardaway Jr. also had a message for his 23-year-old teammate just as he was about to discuss the game with a frown occupying what’s typically a merry smile with enough wattage to light a tree.
“Fix your face, dog,” Hardaway said as Watson was about to start his media availability.
“You’re all right.”
Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson reacts after dunking against the Dallas Mavericks in the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Hardaway, in his 13th NBA season, has been there before. Watson doesn’t have as much experience in the field, certainly not on this stage.
“Next time, it comes to you, just be ready to knock it down. It won’t be the first; it won’t be the last,” Hardaway said. “You might as well let it happen now, because it might come back to you when we need it most.”
The last time Watson remembered being in that situation was in high school. Back then, Watson was a McDonald’s All-American at Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High School who was widely regarded as a top-10 recruit in the country and headed to nearby UCLA for a one-and-done college career. He didn’t play much for the Bruins but packed enough potential for the Nuggets to select him with the last pick of the first round in the 2022 draft. His minutes as a rookie were limited, but he was part of Denver’s championship squad in his first professional season.
His role has grown since, and he’s never shown more promise than this season when he’s capably joined Denver’s starting lineup with Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon sidelined for the last month. Neither Braun nor Gordon are expected back before Denver embarks on a seven-game road trip that follows Denver’s Christmas night at Ball Arena.
A corner 3 taken by Watson, the exact shot he missed with the game on the line, has been one of the most efficient shots in the entire NBA this season. He’s shooting 40% from 3-point range and has become especially lethal from the corners. He vowed to keep working on his shot to make the most of his next opportunity.
“Peyton’s shooting 50-plus (percent) from the corners this season. It’s not like Peyton’s a non-threat. So, I feel for him. He had a weird night with foul trouble,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said.
“I thought he fought Anthony Davis at the end. … I really thought that ball was going in when it left his hands, so it was a disappointing loss.”
Jokic liked those odds enough to pass up a contested floater — a shot he’s made innumerable times at a similar rate — to give Watson a chance at the biggest moment of his young career. The good news is there is enough time for Watson and the Nuggets to reclaim their joy from the basketball gods. With a win Thursday, the Nuggets can secure the season tiebreaker from a Timberwolves team that’s no stranger to playing the Grinch in Denver.
“It means everything to me. Me and ‘Jok,’ obviously, have been playing together for a little bit. His trust, game in and game out, means the world to me,” Watson said. “I’m sad I couldn’t convert today. I’m disappointed I couldn’t convert, but at the end of the day, we got a lot more games to go. This is an experience for me that I’m going to take forward with me and just be focused on making the next one.”