Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Johnson, Gordon, Braun

The Nuggets got a historic performance Thursday from Nikola Jokic to pull out their latest memorable game against the rival Timberwolves, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Jokic posted the first 55-15-15 stat line in NBA history, finishing with 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists in the overtime victory. Jokic called it a “good game,” but some of his teammates were more effusive.

“We’re watching history. … This is something that doesn’t happen again,” Peyton Watson said. “We will never see anything like this again. And I think everybody needs to be really paying attention. … We can’t continue to just dismiss what this guy does on a night-to-night basis. Bro, it’s unbelievable.”

Jokic shot 15-of-21 from the field and 22-of-23 from the foul line and made several huge plays to salvage a game that featured numerous momentum swings in the closing minutes. Denver squandered a 15-point lead with five minutes left to go in regulation and couldn’t hold onto a six-point advantage in the final 35 seconds as Anthony Edwards forced the extra session with a late three-pointer from the corner. The Wolves scored the first nine points of overtime, but the Nuggets closed the game on a 27-14 run over the final three minutes.

“It sounds crazy, but I didn’t think we were completely out of it, just because the way that game was and the shot-making and the star players doing what they did,” Denver coach David Adelman said. “You just felt like there were more moments to the game, if we could just ourselves back into it.”

There’s more from Denver:

• The Nuggets are relieved that Cameron Johnson‘s knee injury is only a bone bruise with no structural damage, but it still leaves them down three starters, Durando states in a separate story. Johnson is projected to miss at least four-to-six weeks, forcing Adelman to make adjustments to his lineups. “You have an intelligent ‘guesstimation’ of a new rotation to play. I think you have to give it a couple of games. Let’s just say it doesn’t go well today; you can’t just say, ‘OK, well let’s scrap it,’” Adelman said. “So yeah, we’ll just reinvent ourselves as we go here. I’m looking at this as just another chapter in the season, you know what I mean? It’s what it is. I feel for Cam, man. I just felt like his trajectory was just going up. Not the stats; just how he was playing. He was a high-minute guy for us, helping bridge the gap between the starters and the second unit.”
• Aaron Gordon, who has made just one brief appearance since November 17 due to a strained right hamstring, and Christian Braun, who has been sidelined since November 12 with a sprained left ankle, are both making progress toward returning, Durando adds. Adelman watched Thursday as both players went through on-court workouts, but he stated the team will use caution in bringing them back. “It’s one of those things that just because other guys got hurt, you can’t hurry their process,” he said. “So we just have to do what we have to do right now. And I like the group we have. All year long, there’s been no crazy ups and downs emotionally. We’ve just gotta continue to do what we’re doing.”
• Bobby Marks of ESPN examines the Nuggets’ options to deal with their depleted roster. They have been carrying an open roster spot, and Marks notes that they could wait until January 5 to add a player when 10-day contracts begin. Denver also has trade exceptions worth $6.9MM and $5.4MM that could be used in a potential deal. However, the team is short on draft capital, with no first-round picks to trade after sending one to Brooklyn to acquire Johnson and only two second-rounders to deal.