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Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman looks on during the second quarter against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images Mike Watters-Imagn Images

David Adelman Reacts to Nuggets' Upset Win Over 76ers

Originally posted on Denver Nuggets on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Jan 6, 2026 1:00 PM ET

The Denver Nuggets put together one of their most impressive wins of the regular season thus far in a 125-124 overtime road victory vs. the Philadelphia 76ers, doing it all without all five of their usual starters, and seven rotational players entirely, that left them with a wildly different starting five than they're used to.

Jalen Pickett and Bruce Brown were the two leading the way in the backcourt. Peyton Watson, Spencer Jones, and DaRon Holmes were the three to fill out the frontcourt. In all, they tasked David Adelman with piecing together a nine-man rotation with the parts leftover and wound up getting it done in the end.

After the game, Adelman made sure to give his credit where it was due to the guys that stepped up around the rotation, both down the bench and those that filled out the starting unit that helped forge together an underdog victory on the road.

"Hunter [Tyson] had his moment, Jalen Pickett had a career night, Peyton Watson's responsibility to guard Maxey and have the ball in his hand throughout, Zeke had a night. Just so many guys stepped in and did things for us. Bruce hit a big three. I could keep going down the list, so one of the most special wins I've been a part of."

Three Nuggets in their nine-man rotation wound up logging 40 or more minutes in the midst of the overtime action. Jalen Pickett led the way for Denver's entire roster with 29 points, five rebounds, and seven assists, almost looking a bit Jamal Murray-esque in the process. Peyton Watson chipped in for 24 points of his own, and Bruce Brown had 19 points and six assists that contributed to the all-around effort throughout the night.

When asked about what he was most proud of after the action unfolded, Adelman kept it simple.

"The group," Adelman said. "This morning, walking through with nine people. So, it was really special."

David Adelman Proud of Nuggets' Effort in OT Win vs. 76ers

Pulling out a win on the road was never going to be easy without a majority of the Nuggets' typical rotation pieces, and it certainly wasn't heading into the final stretch.

Denver needed a resilient fourth quarter where they outscored Philadelphia by six to extend the action to overtime, and after a slugfest of an overtime where both teams shot a collective 4-17 from the field, the Nuggets were the ones to edge it out.

Heading into the overtime period, Adelman certainly saw some of the holes in his team compared to the experienced 76ers roster, but to pair together with what had turned out to be a special night untuil that point, the end result wound up turning in Denver's favor.

"I mean, really go in there thinking, we're up against it. They've got guys that have played in 100 playoff games on that team and have had so much success, an MVP, and we have a lot of guys that have never participated in overtime game," Adelman said. "It was just about, can we just get enough stops? And I thought the special part of winning the game, the way we did it... We scrapped, we found a way to get a rebound. I didn't have to call timeout, and Bruce [Brown] makes a play at the other end to win the game, which kind of summed up the whole game."

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

"It just, can we play fast? Do we have enough energy to score enough points to win the game? So, just, the whole thing, just the constant activity and the belief in each other, just a really special night."

With a big road win in their back pocket, it gives the Nuggets a major confidence boost considering the group's ups and downs in the past couple of weeks of the season, and feels even better as a bounce-back performance just one game following a humbling loss to the Brooklyn Nets.

The Nuggets' road trip will continue forward against the Boston Celtics in TD Garden, where Denver will look to extend to two consecutive wins, likely with a lineup that's a bit healthier and filled out than what they had to work with against Philadelphia.