The Denver Nuggets entered Wednesday night's contest against the New Orleans Pelicans without two starters again, this time Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon. However, the Pelicans are one of the worst teams in the NBA to begin the season, while the Nuggets are widely considered contenders for the NBA Finals this year.

That reflected in the game score, as the Nuggets walked away with the 125-118 win. While Nikola Jokic notched yet another triple-double with 28 points, the talk of the game has to be Peyton Watson, who had a career-best 32 points and 12 rebounds. After the game, Watson spoke with the media about what led to his career night.

"Absolutely, a few people came up to me, Bruce [Brown], [Aaron Gordon], one of our coaches, Mike Moser, and they just told me to go out there play my game, play basketball. And that's what I did. I just took what was there. I didn't force. I took everything within the flow of the game and tried to help our team win."

Watson was an impressive five-of-nine from beyond the arc, getting a handful of open looks from the Pelicans' defense. Entering the game as a 26.3% shooter from three this season, it's not like he had proven he was a threat from distance, but he made New Orleans pay on Wednesday night.

With Braun set to be out for several weeks, Watson may have earned himself that starting shooting guard spot for the time being.

"I think just doing anything necessary to get a win," Watson said of stepping up in Braun's absence. "Some nights it's scoring, some nights it's on the defensive end. I feel like my defense should've been better tonight...I feel like every night has to be a defensive night for me."

This year, Watson is averaging over a block and a steal per game, as his length and athleticism allow him to be one of the most disruptive wings in the NBA. But, as Watson said, sometimes his role will need to be scoring, and he showed that with a career-high performance.

Up next for the Nuggets will be a marquee matchup with the Houston Rockets, a battle between two of the top teams in the NBA. It will also be a matchup between Watson and Kevin Durant, as the two have formed a strong connection over the years before Watson made the NBA. Now, he'll more than likely see some possessions guarding his friend.

Tip-off in Houston is set for 9:30 p.m. EST, as Watson and the Nuggets look to build off Wednesday's win.