The Nuggets can hardly afford to lose more players from their rotation right now.
Fortunately for them, Peyton Watson’s injury scare seemed to be only that.
In his 14th consecutive game as a replacement starter, Watson asked for a substitution and checked himself out six minutes into an eventual win over the Houston Rockets on Monday. Holding his side, the 23-year-old went directly to the locker room and didn’t return. The official injury designation was a right trunk contusion.
“I just got kneed or hit some way right in between my rib cage and my hip, right in my right trunk,” Watson said Tuesday night. “It was just something that stiffened up on me right away in the game. It swelled up. And it was really hard for me to move and run on it. So nothing wrong with it structurally, injury-wise. But it’s just something day (to) day, up to my tolerance of the pain.”
Watson has been filling in as a lead perimeter defender in the starting lineup for Christian Braun, who’s expected to remain out at least through Christmas along with Aaron Gordon. Watson is averaging 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in this 14-game stretch, shooting 52.8% from the field and 44.2% from the 3-point line. The Nuggets (19-6) are 11-4 total when he starts this season.
“It was bone on bone. … It could be totally fine tomorrow,” head coach David Adelman said Monday night after the win. “But it hurt him. It was one of those stingers that he just couldn’t get himself warmed up again. … Nothing long-term as far as I understand. Just probably a bone bruise.”
Watson participated in practice on Wednesday, but it was a light day as Denver prepared to host the Orlando Magic.
“More of a mental day,” said Nuggets lead assistant coach Jared Dudley, who was filling in with Adelman out for family reasons. “(Watson) went through everything. It was good to see him out there.”
The Nuggets are hosting two more games this week, including a Saturday matinee rematch against Houston. Watson is often tasked with guarding his mentor Kevin Durant when Denver faces the future Hall of Famer, who was traded to the Rockets in June.
Durant went for 25 points, five rebounds, seven assists and five blocks in the overtime game Monday as Denver was forced to improvise a bit on matchups and coverages throughout the night.
“It really is painful,” Watson said. “Like when I laugh, when I cough, I can always feel it. It’s just in a sticky spot. But nothing major.”
Dudley weighs in on Murray’s All-Star case
On multiple occasions already, Jamal Murray has declined to make a public argument for himself to become a first-time All-Star this season, preferring to let his play speak for itself. He’s holding steady at 24.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists at the 25-game mark, maintaining a hyper-efficient shooting line of 50.1% (from the field), 44.7% (form three) and 89.6% (on free throws).
“I think I’ve flirted with (50-40-90) before,” he said Monday. “I’m glad I’m in that range.”
In fact, the only reason he’s short of 90% at the foul line was an timely miss in the last 20 seconds of regulation against Houston. Despite redeeming himself with a game-tying free throw moments later and finishing the night 14 of 15 at the stripe, Murray gave himself a hard time for the lone miss and laughed about it afterward.
“Yeah, I was frustrated at that one,” he said, head in hands. “That was a blow.”
Only nine players have completed a full season with 50-40-90 splits in NBA history.
In the meantime, Nuggets teammates and coaches have pedaled Murray’s All-Star candidacy in lieu of him lobbying for himself. Dudley was able to join his chorus of supporters on Wednesday.
“They say historically that he’s started slow,” said Dudley, who came to Adelman’s staff from Dallas. “I haven’t been here. I haven’t seen it. Anytime I’ve played against him or coached against him, he never started slow against us. But I just think it’s a testament to the summer work he’s done. You can tell by his body. … I think the big thing for him and for us is, if the team is good, we can get two or three guys in. I think that where we’re at, how we’re playing, everyone knows he’s taken a whole other level up. His leadership. Defensively, he’s super-aggressive. And I hope he gets it. I think that as a team if we win, he’ll be there.”
Twelve players from each conference will be voted in, with potential for more to be hand-selected by commissioner Adam Silver if the minimum requirements are not met for an All-Star weekend scrimmage between American and international players. Murray, who’s from Canada, would be on the international squad alongside Nuggets center Nikola Jokic if he makes it.
“I think the road (11-game winning streak), you’ve gotta credit Jamal Murray,” Dudley said. “I think the way he’s picked up his aggressiveness, his scoring. I think anyone can tell he’s an All-Star caliber player. And I just think that stars pick up (on the road). Usually, role players play better at home.”
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