Nuggets guard Julian Strawther was helped off the court with a left leg injury during Denver’s preseason game Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Strawther’s leg got caught under his body and bent awkwardly as he landed on it during the third quarter. He stayed down, grimacing in pain, as Nuggets trainers tended to him. After being helped up, he didn’t appear to be putting any pressure on the injured leg as he left the court.

The Nuggets ruled him out a few minutes later, though without any specific injury designation. He’ll undergo an MRI on Thursday, coach David Adelman told reporters in Los Angeles after a 122-110 loss.

Strawther, 24, has been one of Denver’s standouts off the bench this preseason. He arrived in Los Angeles averaging 14 points in the first three exhibitions — 27.5 points per 36 minutes. He had added 11 more on a 3-for-7 outside shooting clip against the Clippers before he suffered the injury at Intuit Dome. Denver’s second unit has been relying on him for shot creation off the dribble in tandem with DeMar DeRozan, who was given the night off Wednesday.

This is Strawther’s fourth season in Denver, where he was drafted with the 29th overall pick in 2023 out of Gonzaga. He’s spent his first three years in and out of the rotation, and he has been competing for the last spot in Adelman’s bench unit this month.

The 6-foot-6 sharpshooter is eligible to sign an extension with the Nuggets through Oct. 19. If he doesn’t, he’ll be a restricted free agent next offseason.

Braun figuring out his spots on offense

Christian Braun hasn’t popped much since the preseason opener, when it was an encouraging sign just to see him get off the ground confidently. He’s averaging only four points in the first four exhibitions, which could be a sign that with the increased involvement of Cam Johnson in the halfcourt offense (and with Aaron Gordon healthy), Braun’s statistical production is likely to go down more this season.

That’s never been something that has bothered him as Denver’s fifth starter, but he will need to find a rhythm eventually as a spot-up shooter. The guard has missed eight of his nine 3-point attempts in the preseason — a minuscule sample size, but one that he’ll need to prove irrelevant over the larger sample.

Braun has still been effective screening and slipping to the basket in the Nuggets’ split actions, but it was his versatility as a third-year player that convinced them to make him part of their long-term core. Being an adequate spacer will be the most important ingredient in regaining that versatility after an injury-plagued year.

The Nuggets’ starters played until halftime again in LA. They started strong, building a 15-3 lead, but they were sloppy in the second quarter as a poor bench stint snowballed into their minutes. Jamal Murray’s aggressiveness in getting all the way to the rim was a bright spot. He amassed an efficient 14 points in his best half of the preseason.

Brazile has some Watson in him

Adelman shook up his first-half rotations with DeRozan out. Cam Whitmore and Trevon Brazile played a heavier dose of early minutes with the first and second units, while Alpha Diallo was scaled back — perhaps a sign that Adelman has seen all he needs to see out of the wing defender.

Whitmore went for 17 points and four rebounds. He was unsteady with the ball at times but still managed an efficient 7-for-13 line by bulldozing to the rim with enough persistence.

Brazile outdid him, and everyone else, showcasing a diverse range of talents. He has played above the rim and out to the perimeter throughout this preseason, but most of all in a wild sequence Wednesday. The rookie caught a lob from Nikola Jokic by cutting the baseline, then he knocked down a 3-pointer above the break moments later. On the ensuing defensive possession, he switched onto Clippers star Darius Garland and swatted the quick guard on a blow-by attempt.

If Spencer Jones isn’t ready for the season opener next Thursday, Brazile might have a chance to earn some surprise minutes out of the gate.