Patryk Stachowiak
The challenge was steep. The response was emphatic. And the reaction was disbelief.
That was the mood around the NBA on Monday night, when the Denver Nuggets pulled off one of the most unexpected wins of the 2025–26 season, edging the Philadelphia 76ers in overtime despite being stripped of their top five players.
Context matters. Games like this are usually pencilled in as automatic losses. When a team is missing its best talent — let alone its entire spine — the outcome is rarely in doubt.
For Denver, the stakes are even higher. Historically, when Nikola Jokić sits — whether resting on the bench or watching in street clothes — defeat tends to follow. The Nuggets are uniquely dependent on the reigning MVP. Without an All-Star running mate and with an offence that revolves entirely around his vision, scoring, and orchestration, Denver’s margin for error without Jokić is razor-thin.
That reality is now front and centre.
Jokić continues to recover from a hyperextended left knee and could miss the remainder of the month. The timing is brutal. With him healthy, the Nuggets were sitting second in the Western Conference and Jokić was once again entrenched in the Kia MVP conversation. Without him, Denver risks a sharp and sudden slide down the standings.
The Nuggets are now demanding more — much more — from their supporting cast. Role players are being pushed into expanded minutes, late-game responsibilities, and offensive situations they’ve rarely experienced before.
They rose to the occasion against Philadelphia. But was that overtime win a turning point — or simply an outlier?
The coming weeks will answer that question for a Denver side currently 2–2 without Jokić.
Fittingly, the Nuggets head to Boston on Wednesday night (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), where the Celtics are offering a blueprint for survival without a superstar. Boston has thrived without Jayson Tatum, thanks in large part to having another elite option in Jaylen Brown. Denver does not enjoy that luxury.
This is a live case study in roster construction and resilience. One team is climbing. The other is simply trying not to fall.
“We just have to go out there and play hard,” said Nuggets swingman Bruce Brown. “People are expecting us to lose. Like, we have nothing to lose. Just go out there and hoop.”
Denver Nuggets. Source: nytimes.com
Gordon and Braun return — but with limits
There was welcome news when Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun returned to the lineup shortly after Jokić went down. Gordon had missed 19 straight games with a hamstring strain, while Braun was sidelined for 23 with an ankle injury.
Jokić’s ability to mask those absences while keeping Denver competitive in the West only reinforced his growing legend. Few players in NBA history have sustained winning under those conditions.
That said, Gordon and Braun remain on minutes restrictions and are unlikely to feature in back-to-back games until fully cleared — limiting their immediate impact.
Murray’s All-Star window opens
If there is a player capable of steering Denver through this stretch, it is Jamal Murray.
Long regarded as the league’s best non-All-Star, Murray has often been undone by injuries and slow starts. This season feels different. He is posting career highs in scoring (25.4 points), assists (7.2 per game), and three-point efficiency (44.7%), while shooting nearly 48% from the field.
With Jokić out, the responsibility shifts squarely onto Murray’s shoulders. Much like Jaylen Brown’s expanded role in Boston, Denver needs Murray to become the engine — not just the finisher.
Depth issues refuse to disappear
The Nuggets’ problems extend beyond Jokić.
Backup centre Jonas Valančiūnas is sidelined with a calf strain and won’t be re-evaluated for another three weeks. As a result, Denver has been hammered on the glass, struggling badly in rebounding battles without either true big man.
Cam Johnson is also out with a right knee contusion. While his first season in Denver has been uneven, his defensive versatility and perimeter shooting are sorely missed on a roster already stretched thin.
Peyton Watson steps into the spotlight
If there is a silver lining, it is the emergence of Peyton Watson.
Tasked with far more responsibility than anticipated, Watson has delivered. Despite early growing pains — including a missed corner three against Dallas last month after Jokić deferred a game-winner — the 23-year-old has flourished.
Entering Wednesday, Watson is averaging 23 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, with career highs across the board in minutes, efficiency, and offensive involvement. First-year head coach David Adelman has trusted him — and Watson has rewarded that faith.
Read also: Nuggets Injury Crisis Deepens as Jonas Valančiūnas Joins Nikola Jokić on the Sidelines
A Western Conference waiting to pounce
The Nuggets are operating in survival mode.
The Western Conference offers no mercy. Behind Oklahoma City, the Spurs, Rockets, Lakers, Timberwolves, and Suns are all well-positioned to overtake Denver if the Nuggets stumble.
A prolonged slide would leave Denver chasing from behind for the remainder of the season — an exhausting and unforgiving scenario.
Across the league, results have been mixed for teams missing their stars. Milwaukee struggled without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Philadelphia stayed afloat thanks to Tyrese Maxey during Joel Embiid’s absences. San Antonio thrived while Victor Wembanyama recovered, leaning heavily on De’Aaron Fox.
In these situations, teams are often at the mercy of schedules, health timelines, and internal growth.
After the win over the 76ers, Adelman summed it up succinctly.
“This is a bunch of guys finding a way to get it done with grit and effort,” he said. “That’s something they’ll talk about 20 years from now.”
Perhaps. But the climb remains steep.
The Nuggets’ immediate objective is simple: survive January without slipping too far. As Adelman put it, the goal is to wake up in February still in the top six.
Without Nikola Jokić, logic — and history — are firmly stacked against them.