Watson (side) didn't return to Monday's game against the Rockets. He finished the night with five points (2-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt) and one steal in six minutes before exiting.
Watson was diagnosed with a right trunk contusion and never returned after departing during the first half. Head coach David Adelman stated after the game that Watson is dealing with a stinger, and the injury shouldn't cause a long-term absence, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. Watson can be considered day-to-day until further notice.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Questionable to return
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Watson is questionable to return to Monday's game against the Rockets due to a right trunk contusion.
Watson made his way back to the bench shortly after being evaluated in the locker room. However, he didn't appear to be moving well, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Heads to locker room Monday
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Watson headed to the locker room during Monday's game against the Rockets due to an apparent left side injury, Brendan Vogt of TheDNVR.com reports.
Watson was spotted grabbing his left side as he walked to the locker room, and his absence would thin the team's frontcourt depth. With Aaron Gordon (hamstring) also out, not having Watson could translate to more minutes for Spencer Jones, Zeke Nnaji and even Tim Hardaway.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Goes for 21 points
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Watson ended Thursday's 136-105 victory over Sacramento with 21 points (7-10 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 5-8 FT), two rebounds and one assist over 23 minutes.
Watson, along with Cameron Johnson (16 points), were the two players who stepped up for the Nuggets in a game where Jamal Murray had an outing to forget (11 points, 4-13 FG). Watson continues to produce in a starting role, and while he's not going to carry the team offensively, he's done a decent job filling in for the injured Aaron Gordon (hamstring). Watson is averaging 14.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 blocks per game over his last nine appearances.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Chips in 15 points in loss
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Watson ended Monday's 131-121 loss to the Mavericks with 15 points (7-14 FG, 1-4 3Pt), five rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 35 minutes.
While he struggled from beyond the arc, Watson still finished as Denver's third-leading scorer. The 23-year-old forward has scored in double figures in five straight games, grabbing at least five boards in each of them. He also tied his season-high mark in blocks Monday. Watson has been a mainstay in the starting lineup of late and should remain in the first unit with Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Christian Braun (ankle) sidelined.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Impressive run continues
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Watson supplied 27 points (11-22 FG, 5-12 3Pt), five rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal across 33 minutes during Monday's 125-115 win over Memphis.
Watson continues to play the best basketball of his career, especially on the offensive end of the court. Known as a defensive specialist, injuries to key players have provided Watson with an opportunity to shoulder more responsibility as a scorer. He has scored at least 15 points in three of his last four games, averaging 20.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.3 three-pointers and 1.3 combined steals-plus-blocks during that span.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Flirts with double-double
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Watson totaled nine points (3-5 FG, 3-4 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal across 34 minutes during Friday's 112-109 victory over the Rockets.
Watson played at least 34 minutes for the fourth straight game, grabbing double-digit rebounds for the second time in succession. Although he wasn't able to repeat his 32-point performance from earlier in the week, it appears as though Watson is locked in as a key member of the starting lineup, at least for the foreseeable future. Aaron Gordon is expected to miss time after leaving Friday's game due to an ongoing hamstring injury, only solidifying Watson's spot in the rotation.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Posts career highs in win
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Watson recorded 32 points (13-19 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 12 rebounds, three assists and one block across 34 minutes in Wednesday's 125-118 win over the Pelicans.
Watson got the starting nod for the third consecutive game and erupted for a game- and career-high mark in points. The fourth-year forward also grabbed a game- and career-best 12 rebounds en route to his first double-double of the season. The 23-year-old is expected to continue seeing an increased role with Christian Braun (ankle) sidelined for an extended period.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Quiet in 22 minutes
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Watson posted two points (1-4 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 0-2 FT), two rebounds, one assist and one block across 22 minutes during Wednesday's 130-116 victory over the Clippers.
Watson has been a low-end fantasy contributor to open the season with 6.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.0 blocks and 0.4 three-pointers in 21.1 minutes per game. Christian Braun (ankle) and Cameron Johnson (arm) suffered injuries during Wednesday's game and didn't return, making Watson a player to monitor in case those injuries linger. Watson's steal and block rates give him a nice floor when the minutes are there.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Leads Denver with 15 points
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Watson registered 15 points (5-11 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block over 25 minutes during the Nuggets' 94-91 preseason loss to the Thunder on Friday.
Watson made his second start of the preseason Friday due to the absence of Aaron Gordon (rest). Watson took advantage of the additional playing time as he led the Nuggets in points while finishing tied with Cameron Johnson for most rebounds and assists. Watson came off the bench for the majority of the 2024-25 season but would be the top option to enter the starting lineup if Gordon were to ever miss time during the regular season.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Starting sans Gordon
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Watson will start in Friday's preseason game against the Thunder, Katy Winge of Altitude Sports reports.
With Aaron Gordon (rest) sitting out Friday's preseason finale, Watson will enter the starting five. The 23-year-old forward is expected to operate as Gordon's primary backup in the 2025-26 campaign.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Starting Monday
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Watson will be in the starting lineup for Monday's preseason matchup with Toronto, Vivek Jacob of the Raptors' official site reports.
Aaron Gordon (rest) is sitting out Monday's exhibition for maintenance purposes, so Watson will get the start in his place. He'll be joined by Jamal Murray, Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun and Nikola Jokic.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Plays 14 minutes in Game 2
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Watson produced three points (1-2 FG, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one steal over 14 minutes during Monday's 105-102 loss to the Clippers in Game 2 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Watson has now played 14 minutes in two straight postseason games. Denver's rotation is extremely tight right now, and Watson is second only to Russell Westbrook in terms of minutes played with the second unit.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Will play Friday
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Watson (knee) is available and starting in Friday's game against the Warriors.
Watson will return to game action after missing Wednesday's loss to the Spurs due to right knee inflammation. Over his last five appearances (three starts), the 22-year-old has averaged 12.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and 1.8 assists across 33.2 minutes per contest.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Officially out
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Watson (knee) won't play in Wednesday's game against the Spurs.
Watson will join the entire Nuggets' starting five in street clothes Wednesday. The 22-year-old is battling right knee inflammation. Expect Hunter Tyson, Spencer Jones and Vlatko Cancar to see plenty of action. Watson's next chance to play will come Friday at Golden State.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Starting Friday vs. Utah
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Watson is in the Nuggets' starting lineup against the Jazz on Friday.
With Jamal Murray (hamstring) sidelined, Watson will enter the Nuggets' starting five Friday while Russell Westbrook comes off the bench. Watson has seen a noticeable bump in minutes over his last six outings and has averaged 13.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists over 30.2 minutes per game over that span.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Starting sans Gordon
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Watson will join the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Bulls.
With Aaron Gordon (calf/ankle) taking a seat on the second end of Denver's back-to-back, Watson will jump into the starting five Monday. Watson has averaged 11.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 blocks in 30.6 minutes over 14 games as a starter this season.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Trending up for Denver
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Watson had nine points (3-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-3 FT), five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal over 21 minutes during Sunday's 116-111 win over the Rockets.
Watson is trending in the right direction for Denver and is worth a look as a pickup in deeper fantasy leagues. Outside of a poor free-throw percentage lately, Watson has been solid over his last four games. In that span, he produced averages of 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 three-pointers on 51.4 percent shooting from the field in 27.1 minutes. His minutes will likely remain healthy as long as Nikola Jokic (ankle) is still sidelined.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Fares well as starter
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Watson finished with 13 points (5-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-6 FT), five rebounds, one assist, four blocks and one steal in 35 minutes during Monday's 114-105 victory over the Warriors.
Christian Braun (foot), Jamal Murray (ankle) and Nikola Jokic (elbow) sat out Monday's game, but they are considered day-to-day. Watson was pretty quiet coming into Monday's game, and he's now averaging 6.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 blocks in 20.2 minutes over his last eight outings.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Could return against Sacramento
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Watson (knee) is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game versus the Kings.
After missing Denver's previous 13 outings due to a sprained right knee, Watson's questionable tag indicates that he is nearing a return to action. However, the 22-year-old forward will likely operate on a minutes restriction if he's upgraded to available.
