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Jan 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown (11) controls the ball as Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. (9) guards in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Bruce Brown Reacts to Surviving Nuggets’ Shorthanded Stretch

Originally posted on Denver Nuggets on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Jan 12, 2026 2:00 PM ET

The Denver Nuggets, despite being without four of their five typical starters in the rotation against the Milwaukee Bucks, put together just enough for a 104-108 upset victory on their home floor behind a resilient effort from their depth stepping up to the occasion.

Tim Hardway Jr. surged off the bench for a team-leading 25 points on five threes made, lone remaining starter, Aaron Gordon, played his most PT since returning from injury with 32 minutes for 23 points, and behind an efficient night from the team in terms of shooting, keeping control of the ball and matching Milwaukee's size to edge out the rebound battle, 45-44, they got the job done in front of their home crowd.

Being without vital pieces of the rotation and the starting lineup is nothing new for the Nuggets this season, having been without their three-time MVP Nikola Jokic among other absences since the new year kicked off, along with multiple other key names like Jamal Murray, Cam Johnson, and Christian Braun.

However, with all odds stacked against them, this same team has still managed to stay afloat with a 3-3 record since January 1st.

For Nuggets guard Bruce Brown Jr., finding that success simply comes down to those remaining pieces of the puzzle, like himself, to bring that 110% effort on both ends of the floor to overcome those challenges, which just so happened to be against the two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo this weekend.

"No, [it doesn't affect us]." Brown said of the Nuggets' limited availability. "We're just going out there and playing extremely hard. We know there's going to be shots, we have to take shots and we have to be aggressive on the defensive end, rebound the ball and get out and transition."

Bruce Brown Brushes Off Nuggets' Shorthanded Lineup

For Brown in particular, he's been both a consistent and available contributor in the Nuggets rotation throughout this season, and proved to be the glue guy he typically is against Milwaukee as well––logging seven points, six rebounds, and three assists off the bench, posting the third-highest plus-minus of the night with +15.

Not only has Brown been a steady producer when he's in the lineup, but he's also been readily available for each and every regular season game to this point–– the only player in Denver's rotation to have played each game of the year thus far–– and makes for a trend he's trying to sustain moving forward.

"Yeah, hopefully I keep it that way," Brown said of playing every regular season game. "Just trying to stay healthy. Cold tub, soft tissue work... I only played 41 games last year, so I'm trying to play 82."

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Especially as the Nuggets deal with their current issues in the injury report, having reliable veterans with good experience consistently on the floor like Brown is an underrated, yet vital asset to have onboard. And against the Bucks, his presence was even more important as Denver ran with just a nine-man rotation with their leftover healthy pieces.

In due time, the Nuggets will get both healthier and more consistent when it comes to putting wins on the board. But for now, Denver's surviving how they need to; still within the top six of a tight Western Conference playoff picture, and have shown that even without their MVP talent in Jokic, they're ready and willing to fight as the underdog each and every night with whoever's available.