Peyton Watson leaves the Knicks game with a potentially serious injury

ByNBAUSA



Just like The Denver Nuggets are finally starting to look whole againthe injury bug bit back, and hard. In the midst of a high-stakes battle against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night, forward Peyton Watson was forced to leave the game early.

Third year wing he grabbed his leg and limped straight into the locker room, with the team later confirming a hamstring injury. The timing of the injury couldn’t have been worse for the Nuggets.

Denver just had welcomed three-time MVP Nikola Jokić returned to the lineup after a 16-game absence, and guard Christian Brown also recently returned to bolster the perimeter. With Aaron Gordon already sidelined with his hamstring issue, Watson stepped into a huge role as the team’s primary defensive stopper and secondary playmaker.

Before the injury, Watson had a solid night in the “Mecca” of basketball. He already had 10 points and a dunk in the third quarter off a beautiful Jokic who didn’t look like it. Entering this game, Watson has been on a tear, averaging 20.5 points over his last 20 games, including a career-high 35 points against the Washington Wizards last month.

Without Watson, the Nuggets lose a versatile wing who provides elite shot blocking and transition scoring. The defensive burden now shifts heavily to Brown and veteran Tim Hardaway Jr., while head coach Michael Malone will likely have to dig deep into his bench for minutes from either Julian Strother or Jaylen Pickett.

Nuggets fans will be holding their breath for an MRI update. If Watson is out for an extended period, Denver’s climb to the top of the Western Conference just got that much steeper.





2026-02-05 02:41:00

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