David Adelman calls Nuggets’ shorthanded win over 76ers ‘one of the most special’

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.

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.”

ONE OF THE BEST NBA WINS pic.twitter.com/2bgkeDjJRd

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 6, 2026

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.

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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