Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets were home Monday night to face the Trail Blazers. Denver has been thriving as a team lately, winning seven of its last ten games.
The Nuggets are currently on a seven-game win streak. On Monday, Portland stood no chance against them, losing 146-117. Nikola Jokic only played three quarters and sat on the bench in the fourth. That’s how dominant Denver was on Monday. Can the Nuggets keep their win streak alive?
Jokic and the Nuggets have won seven straight games
7️⃣ of ’em! pic.twitter.com/b9Jh9fd6Ka
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) February 11, 2025
After winning the NBA Finals in 2023, the Nuggets failed to make the conference finals in 2024. Denver took a slight step back, but it still had the majority of its championship roster left. The Nuggets started 2024-25 slow at 11-10 but they’ve been one of the NBA’s hottest teams since the beginning of December. They are 15-4 in their last 19 games. Additionally, the Nuggets are 7-3 in their last 10 and have won seven straight.
Head coach Michael Malone keeps a tight rotation of players for Denver. Eight players average at least (24.1) minutes per game in 2024-25. NBA fans are well aware of Denver’s stars like Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. However, the team has a few heroes that go under the radar. First off is third-year pro out of UCLA, Peyton Watson. The 22-year-old is having a career-best season across the board. Watson is averaging (8.1) points, (3.4) rebounds, (1.5) assists, and (1.2) blocks per game. He’s played in 48 of their 54 games and has 12 starts.
Another under-the-radar player for the Nuggets is backup SG Julian Strawther. He’s in his second season with the Nuggets after playing collegiately at Gonzaga. Strawther has played in all 54 of Denver’s games this season and has three starts. His (9.6) points, (2.2) rebounds, and (1.4) assists are new career-highs. Additionally, Strawther improved his three-point percentage from (.297) to (.362) in 2024-25. He also went from (10.2) minutes per game last year to (22.5) this season. Peyton Watson and himself are key pieces in Denver’s rotation.
