Nuggets’ First Back-to-Back of the Season Without Key Players
David Adelman relied on a 10-man rotation during the Denver Nuggets’ first back-to-back games of the season, despite missing Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. Regardless of personnel, the Nuggets maintained their clinical approach.
Strong Performance Amid Absences
Even without their second- and third-best players, Denver cruised to a 117-100 victory over the injury-depleted Indiana Pacers on Saturday. The Nuggets, now 7-2 overall, completed a perfect four-game home stand.
- Nikola Jokic delivered 32 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists despite eight turnovers.
- Peyton Watson stepped up as a starter, contributing 16 points, seven rebounds, and three steals.
- The Nuggets remain unbeaten at home this season with a 6-0 record and have yet to trail in the second half at Ball Arena.
Injury Updates and Precautions
Murray has experienced intermittent calf tightness over the past week, while Gordon’s status was officially listed as left hamstring management. Their absences were precautionary, with Denver playing on only 24 hours of rest for the first time this season.
“If you feel something that you know could turn into something worse, I think there is a little bit of apprehension,” Adelman said regarding Gordon’s injury report. “But he had some explosive plays last night. And Aaron’s a guy we have to protect in that sense … just because there’s just not that many human beings that are that big, can jump that high, can explode like that.”
Summary
Despite missing key players, the Nuggets demonstrated depth and resilience, maintaining an undefeated home record and effective teamwork under Adelman’s rotation.