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David Adelman calls Nuggets’ shorthanded win over 76ers ‘one of the most special’
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- David Adelman calls Nuggets’ shorthanded win over 76ers ‘one of the most special’
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On Monday night, the Denver Nuggets faced an incredibly tall task. Down all five starters, they would be facing the Philadelphia 76ers , led by Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid . Nuggets head coach David Adelman had nine available players to put on the court, all of whom had fewer than 50 career NBA starts combined.
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That didn't matter. The Nuggets skeleton crew never took their foot off the gas, and ended up upsetting the 76ers in overtime, 125-124.
Adelman knew just how important this win was for the team as a whole.
"Just so many guys stepped in and did things for us," Adelman said postgame. "One of the most special wins I've been a part of."
When asked what made him most proud, Adelman got visibly choked up.
"The group," he said. "This morning, walking through with [just] nine people, so it was really special."
The victory came 24 hours after Denver exhausted its resources in Brooklyn , deploying a near-full roster in a disappointing defeat. That loss resulted in a wave of absences for the Philadelphia matchup. Nikola Jokic and Cam Johnson remained out with knee injuries, while Jamal Murray , Aaron Gordon , Christian Braun , and Tim Hardaway Jr. were rested for the back-to-back's second night.
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No starters? No problem. Jalen Pickett erupted for 29 points while also hitting seven three-pointers. Zeke Nnaji established a strong presence in the paint as well as from beyond the arc, dropping 21 points. But veteran Bruce Brown would make the game-winning layup with just 5.3 seconds remaining following goaltending from Embiid.
"This is a bunch of guys finding a way to get it done with grit and effort and timely shot making," Adelman said. "And I think that's something that, when they're older, 20 years from now, they're probably gonna have a beer and talk about this game."
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