Nuggets guard Jalen Pickett’s reaction to career night vs. 76ers can’t be topped

Many thought that the Denver Nuggets were simply punting on their Monday night matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. After all, in addition to the likes of Nikola Jokic, Jonas Valanciunas, and Cam Johnson all dealing with injury-related multiple-week absences, Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, and Aaron Gordon were all given the night off as well.

But little did everyone know that the 76ers were simply walking into the trap that the Nuggets had sprung for them, with Jalen Pickett starring in a 125-124 win over Philly in overtime.

Pickett was handed the role of primary ballhandler on the night with Murray sitting, and he made the most of his rare opportunity. He tallied 29 points, five rebounds, and seven assists while drilling 11 of his 20 shots, with seven of those makes coming from beyond the arc.

And the Nuggets guard isn’t about to let anyone forget this performance of his soon. In fact, he’s going to be telling the children of his children about the legend of his magical January 5th of 2026.

“Oh my gosh. I’m gonna tell ‘em I was giving MVPs buckets out there,” Pickett said, per Bennett Durando of the Denver Post.

With the way he was playing out there, Pickett might as well have this much fun with it.

Nuggets expose the cracks in the 76ers’ defense

The Nuggets launched an all-out assault at the basket, forcing the 76ers to play a double-big lineup to hide Joel Embiid’s shortcomings in protecting the rim.

But at the end of the day, the Nuggets just made enough shots to keep the 76ers’ defense honest. Pickett was the main man, but Peyton Watson did so much damage, and so did Zeke Nnaji. Bruce Brown also got into the act, as he made a few crucial shots, including the game-winning layup.

This was a crucial win for the Nuggets to get, as this at least gives them extra cushion amid the tough Jokic-less stretch they’re going to have to survive.

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