DENVER (AP) — For the first time in four months the Denver Nuggets look like the team their new management team of Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace assembled in the offseason, one featuring a strong starting five and enviable depth.
Peyton Watson returned from a pulled hamstring and a six-week absence Sunday and helped the Nuggets race past the red-hot Portland Trail Blazers 128-112. Watson scored 14 points, pulled down six defensive rebounds and tallied three assists in 20 minutes.
It was the first time since Nov. 12 that the Nuggets (44-28) had their starting rotation and full complement of backups all available.
“It was a great feeling,” Spencer Jones said. “We were hyped walking out there. The only bad thing about it was there wasn’t enough room on the bench. You can’t really stretch your legs as much as you’re used to. But, nah, it’s a great feeling to have everybody out there.”
All five starters scored in double figures, led by All-Stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray with 22 each. Cam Johnson added 19, Christian Braun had 15 and Aaron Gordon, 12. Reserve Bruce Brown chipped in 13.
The Nuggets were especially hurting when Gordon and Watson were out. Those are two of Denver’s best defenders and rim protectors.
“It’s a great feeling just seeing P-Wat back, having A.G. back,” Johnson said. “This is who we are. We’re deep. We’ve got guys that can make plays all over the court offensively and defensively. It’s exciting to be back to full strength. We’ve got to stay there.
“We’ve got, what, 10 games left to make a push, finalize our place in the standings, hopefully jump up and then chase some teams down and then get ready for the playoffs.”
The Nuggets have been hoping to get all their players back on the court together for the final weeks of the regular season, and Watson’s long-anticipated return puts them back at full strength, barring another injury in a season that has seen all five starters and several reserves miss significant time.
“It’s huge,” Jones said. “This is the first game we’ve had everybody back since I don’t know when. So, we’re just figuring out lineups and what we can do, who works well with each other and figuring that out together and building more chemistry as a team and it’ll be exciting going into the playoffs.”
Of course, no one was more excited than Watson himself.
“It was super exciting, it was hard for me to sleep last night,” said Watson, who was in the midst of his most productive two months as a pro when he joined the long list of injured Nuggets. “I was anticipating this day for a long time. You never know what to expect with the rehab process. It was really tough for me at times.
“But I’m glad I was able to push through it, I’m glad we got the training staff that we do getting me back to full health, and I’m ready to continue to contribute for us.”
Jokic said it took him a good month to get back in rhythm after missing a month with a knee injury and he expects Watson to take some time getting his game back, too.
Watson, however, said he’s not that far off, if at all.
Getting injured, he said, “was really frustrating, especially with the groove that I had worked my way into and the basketball that I was playing. But to be honest with you, this whole six weeks feels like a blur at this point; I feel like I’m right back where I was six weeks ago.
“The confidence is there, everything is there.”
Watson is looking on the bright side. The spate of injuries all season may have been frustrating, but they allowed other players — including himself — to step up and carve out bigger roles.
“I think you need some adversity to kind of build a team up and that’s what this year has been,” Watson said. “And it’s forced other guys to step up and play big minutes and have big responsibilities and like D.A. (coach David Adelman) said tonight, there are guys that didn’t play a lick tonight that he would trust to play 35 minutes. So, I think that it’s a blessing and a curse that we got injured and it’ll be better for us in the long run,”
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