Pickett shares his thoughts on leading a depleted roster to an overtime win against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Denver Nuggets came into Monday night's matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers with just about everyone counting them out, and it was easy to see why.
Denver was missing all five of their regular starters along with two key bench players, yet nobody told Jalen Pickett and the reserves they were not supposed to win this game.
Pickett, a third-year guard out of Penn State, put together the best game of his NBA career and led the Nuggets to a shocking 125-124 overtime victory over Philadelphia.
The win moves Denver to 24-12 on the season while the 76ers fall to 19-15.
Pickett Has the Quote of the Night
After the game, Pickett was asked about his breakout performance against a Sixers team featuring former MVP Joel Embiid and nine-time All-Star Paul George, and his response was absolutely perfect.
"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 his teammates sidelined due to injuries and rest, the 26-year-old guard was handed the role of primary ballhandler and he made the most of his rare opportunity.
Pickett finished with a career-high 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting while drilling seven of his 11 three-point attempts.
He also added five rebounds and seven assists in 42 minutes of action, completely blowing past his previous career-high of 18 points.
Reserve Players Step Up in a Big Way
The Nuggets were without three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas, and Tim Hardaway Jr. for the contest.
That is their entire starting lineup plus two important rotation players, but Denver's reserves refused to go down quietly.
Peyton Watson continued his strong stretch of play and finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, and four assists while shooting over 50 percent from the field.
The 23-year-old forward has been averaging 14.8 points per game as a starter this season and came up huge when his team needed him most.
Zeke Nnaji also tied his career-high with 21 points off the bench, going 7-for-11 from the floor including 4-of-5 from three-point range.
The undersized big man helped contain Embiid throughout the night despite giving up several inches in height.
Bruce Brown added 19 points and delivered the game-winning basket in the final seconds when his layup was goaltended by Embiid.
Six Nuggets players reached double figures as Denver proved that their depth can carry them through this difficult stretch without Jokic.
What This Means Going Forward
The Nuggets still have a tough month ahead of them, with Jokic expected to miss several more weeks.
However, stealing a road win like this against a talented 76ers squad gives them some breathing room in the Western Conference standings.
Denver's young players showed they can be counted on when the pressure is at its highest, and Pickett's career night is something that maybe the Nuggets can count on through this tough stretch of injuries.