Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman praised the collective effort that led to a 125-124 overtime victory against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday at Xfinity Mobile Arena. “It was just a constant, keep five guys in the paint, just try to win the ball… some of the shot-making from guys, timely shot-making, was just so impressive and it speaks to the group,” Adelman said.
The coach highlighted contributions from role players stepping up in a depleted rotation. “Guys that haven’t played stepping up. Hunter had his moment. Jalen Pickett had a career night. Peyton Watson’s responsibility to guard Maxey and have the ball in his hand throughout. Zeke had a night. Bruce hit a big three… one of the most special ones I’ve been a part of,” he added.
Adelman singled out Pickett for his dominant performance. “He went into his own… the step-back threes, rhythm on both hands, drove and kicked it. Beyond Jalen, Peyton and others did it too, but he was the guy tonight,” he said. Pickett finished with 29 points and seven assists in 42 minutes.
The coach also noted Zeke Nnaji’s growth in attacking closeouts. “When he drove, he was really ball strong, protected the ball through contact multiple times… fun to see all these guys have a moment,” Adelman said.
Discussing the game plan against a 76ers team featuring Joel Embiid, Maxey, and Paul George, Adelman stressed perimeter shooting and quick offense. “Everybody was in… bringing bodies to Embiid on one end, giving up rotational threes… just fire it once we created a shot… both ends was definitely a three-point thing,” he said.
Adelman reflected on Denver’s group effort on the glass. “All five. It’s not going to be the guy blocking out and getting the rebound, it might be the second or third guy who knocks it loose… really special night,” he said.
Regarding overtime strategy, Adelman emphasized conditioning and trust in his players. “They got guys who have played in 100 playoff games… a lot of guys that have never participated in an overtime game… can we play fast? Do we have enough energy to score enough points to win?”
The coach also framed the win as historically unique given Denver’s depleted roster. “Our best player didn’t play… a bunch of guys finding a way to get it done with grit and effort and timely shot-making… 20 years from now, they’ll probably grab a beer and talk about this game,” he said.
Peyton Watson added 24 points and seven rebounds, while Bruce Brown contributed 19 points and hit the decisive basket in overtime, which was ruled goaltending on Embiid. Despite shooting 53 percent overall and 49 percent from three, Denver overcame the absence of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Christian Braun to secure the victory.
