Nuggets wing Peyton Watson's heroic move vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sparks buzz

11/07/2024 12:19 AM

The Denver Nuggets have had a very rocky start to the season after coming into it as Western Conference contenders, but they made a big-time statement on Wednesday night.

Playing in front of their home fans at Ball Arena, the Nuggets handed the Oklahoma City Thunder its first loss of the season with an impressive 124-122 win. The Thunder had a chance to tie the game at the very end, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s layup to force overtime was blocked by Peyton Watson, who soared in to make the rejection.

PEYTON WATSON’S BLOCK SEALS THE WIN FOR DENVER pic.twitter.com/hmWYlsNHNz

— NBA (@NBA) November 7, 2024

Watson quickly avenged himself after missing a pair off crucial free throws to give the Thunder a chance to tie or win the game on the final possession of regulation. He made a strong impression in his first start of the season. Watson will likely be a starter for at least the next few weeks after Aaron Gordon suffered a calf strain on Monday.

Watson finished this one with 10 points and three blocks. Shortly before his game-sealing rejection, Watson knocked down a huge three to extend a Nuggets lead. There are still holes in the young forward’s game, but Wednesday night should provide optimism that he can hold down the fort in the starting lineup until Gordon comes back.

As usual, Nikola Jokic was a master for the Nuggets in this one. The three-time league MVP recorded his fourth triple-double of the season with 23 points, 20 rebounds and 16 assists. He was a monster on the boards on both ends and drove the Nuggets offense with both his scoring and his playmaking.

Russell Westbrook also had his best game as a Nugget on Wednesday. Westbrook is currently in the starting lineup while Jamal Murray is sidelined with a concussion and the former Thunder star didn’t disappoint against his old team. For the game, Westbrook scored 29 points on 10-for-15 shooting while knocking down three three-pointers, which is a welcome sight for a Nuggets team that desperately needs shooting and spacing from any place they can get it.

The Nuggets’ shooting and bench were major causes for concern at the start of the season, but they have started to play better basketball over the last few weeks. After tonight’s win, they are sitting pretty at 5-3 and have a ton of momentum moving forward.

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