![\"Denver](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26008102012699-1024x683.jpg\")
Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson (8) celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\nDenver Gazette beat writer Vinny Benedetto takes you around the NBA and inside the Nuggets locker room:<\/p>\n
NBA Insider<\/p>\n
That wasn\u2019t a road trip. That was an odyssey.<\/p>\n
The Nuggets left for their epic journey, riding the high of Nikola Jokic\u2019s historic performance in an overtime win over the Timberwolves that gave the team a 22-8 record when they left for their longest trip of the season. They return to Denver at 25-12, good for third in the Western Conference, weathered by a storm that started in Florida, followed the team to Toronto and throughout the Northeast.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was an incredible road trip,\u201d Nuggets coach David Adelman said after the team managed consecutive wins to conclude the trip. \u201cGoing 3-4 with all the things that happened, losing both your centers, getting guys back on minutes restrictions, different people having to step in and play, beat Philly with nine players, yeah, I would say this road trip is very, very successful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everything changed a few days into the trip when Jokic went down, clutching his left knee in Miami. Jamal Murray had to step into the hero role for the remainder of the trip.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s doing an amazing job of reading the defense, reading coverages,\u201d Tim Hardaway Jr. said after the team\u2019s last stop. \u201cOf course, with the big fella out, teams are going to try their best to double-team him and get the ball out of his hands. What\u2019s great about us is we\u2019ve got guys that go out there and make plays. That comes with the trust from those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peyton Watson has helped steady the ship with five consecutive games of 21 or more points, a streak that started in Denver\u2019s New Year\u2019s Eve win in Toronto. Cleveland and Brooklyn used their size inside to bully the undersized Nuggets in close losses that left the trip looking like a lost cause.<\/p>\n
Then came the gritty win in Philadelphia without all five of Denver\u2019s regular starters and a couple of key reserves. The Nuggets saved their best for last by beating the Celtics. Along the way, there were transportation issues, Murray said after dropping a career-high 17 assists. Denver outscored Philadelphia and Boston from 3-point range and in fast-break points.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a defining moment for what we\u2019re going to be the next few weeks. \u2026 What we have to do to win games, I think it\u2019s going to be different every night, but it\u2019s going to be Jamal making the right play. It\u2019s going to be our defense stepping up in moments,\u201d Adelman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever is the right play, he\u2019s just making it. Sometimes the right play is him. Sometimes, 17 times, it was somebody else. Just a complete game from a guard that\u2019s playing as good as anybody in this league.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neither Jokic nor Jonas Valanciunas, who strained his right calf in Toronto, are expected to be back for a few more weeks. At least five of Denver\u2019s next seven games are at home, and they\u2019ve figured out a formula to survive without their monsters in the middle.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve lost a player each game, so, you know, it\u2019s solid. Not everybody plays sports, but it\u2019s not easy,\u201d Murray said of the road trip.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was solid all in all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson (8) celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n
What I\u2019m Thinking<\/p>\n
For all the tangible reasons Denver survived the road trip \u2013 Murray\u2019s heroics, Watson\u2019s breakout, stretches of lockdown defense \u2013 there\u2019s an intangible that, coupled with a friendly schedule, should help Denver survive the next couple of weeks.<\/p>\n
The Nuggets\u2019 culture has survived the injuries.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cThrough the whole trip, just their mentality has been so good,\u201d the Nuggets\u2019 coach said. \u201cThe Brooklyn game was a dud. We didn\u2019t play well in that game, but the majority of the time, the focus in the walkthroughs and film sessions, everyone is just really bought in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Murray\u2019s doing a whole lot without trying to do too much, an approach that should make Jokic proud. Watson is playing fearlessly and remains willing to take the big shots even if it\u2019s not necessarily his night. Spencer Jones, Zeke Nnaji and DaRon Holmes II are frequently fighting to the best of their ability inside despite size disadvantages. Jalen Pickett professionally followed up the best game of his career in Philadelphia with a quieter, but still impactful, showing in Boston. Tim Hardaway Jr. has stabilized the bench when he could be seeking a bigger role.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were just trying to do our best to weather the storm, stay afloat, keep our head above water. These guys in this locker room know what we have. We know what it takes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m ready to go home, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
That should be the most challenging part of Denver\u2019s season. The next six opponents \u2013 the Hawks, Bucks, Pelicans, Mavericks, Wizards and Hornets \u2013 all have losing records. Only Atlanta is currently in the play-in field.<\/p>\n
As long as Denver\u2019s culture persists, so should the Nuggets.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26008032594490-1024x714.jpg\")
Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) and Denver Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji (22) battle for a rebound during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n
What They\u2019re Saying<\/p>\n
Zeke Nnaji was a popular answer when the Nuggets were asked what went right against Boston. Adelman was asked about Denver\u2019s ability to make it tough on Jaylen Brown, who finished with seven turnovers.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to hold your ground with him. He\u2019s so strong when he gets to his spot. One guy that stood out to me was Zeke Nnaji,\u201d Adelman said. \u201cWhen Zeke switched onto him, I thought he did a great job of staying down on his pump fakes. He took the physicality of the off arm and just stood his ground. I thought he was active with his hands at the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked about Denver\u2019s fourth-quarter performance to put the game away, Murray went the same route.<\/p>\n
\u201cZeke Nnaji: that\u2019s what happened,\u201d Murray said. \u201cThat\u2019s what we did. He was playing amazing defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
What I\u2019m Following<\/p>\n
Denver\u2019s injury report is still pretty crowded for the first game back at Ball Arena since Dec. 25. Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Bruce Brown are all probable. Spencer Jones is questionable with an illness and left ankle inflammation after leaving Wednesday\u2019s win, while Jokic, Valanciunas and Cam Johnson remain out. Atlanta\u2019s trade with Washington hadn\u2019t been formalized by Thursday night, throwing into doubt whether CJ McCollum or Corey Kispert would make their Hawks debut in Denver.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a new twist in Giannis Antetokounmpo\u2019s Milwaukee saga. The Bucks\u2019 superstar recently told The Athletic that he would never ask the franchise that drafted him in 2013 for a trade.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Denver Gazette beat writer Vinny Benedetto takes you around the NBA and inside the Nuggets locker room: NBA…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":401246,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[64,63,590,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-401245","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-nba","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=401245"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401245\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/401246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=401245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=401245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=401245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}