Valanciunas returns as Watson makes history in Nuggets win over Washington

The Denver Nuggets badly needed some reinforcements and they got one on Thursday with the return of center Jonas Valanciunas, who bolstered the road team as Peyton Watson starred in a 107-97 win over the Washington Wizards.

Watson set a new career high, tallying 35 points on six triples with eight rebounds, four blocks and two steals. He became the first player in NBA history with that statline.

Complete list of players in NBA history, including the playoffs, with a game of:

35+ points
8+ rebounds
6+ made threes
4+ blocks
2+ steals

Peyton Watson (tonight) pic.twitter.com/maMOfaynZI

— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) January 23, 2026

The fourth-year wing from UCLA battled heavily in the game against one of the league’s worst teams, getting bruised in multiple spots throughout the game. He banged up his ankle, knee, and forearm, among possibly other parts of his body. Still, Watson kept chugging and matched the barrage of 43 3-pointers Washington tossed up.

“Just the fearlessness, the audacity to go out there and do it against the best in the best in the world,” Peyton Watson shared with the TV broadcast what he’s proud of in his game. “That’s what means the most to me, is the mindset and the mentality behind it.”

Watson was both the team’s best offensive and defensive player on the night as he again carried the Nuggets through a shorthanded effort. Watson, who had never scored 25 points in a game before this season, now has four 30-point efforts this year alone.

“He steps on the court and gives 100%; he gives everything on the court,” Valanciunas told the radio broadcast after the game. “He has a passion for basketball that’s beautiful to watch.”

Valanciunas nearly got a double-double in his return after missing 11 games with a calf injury. He got on the board earlier, helping the Nuggets to a game-starting 7-0 run by recording eight of the first 11 for Denver. Big Val likely would’ve tallied that double-double had he not gotten into foul trouble and been minutes restricted.

“He stats out. It’s absolutely crazy, a couple of assists, a lot of fouls,” David Adelman said. “The guys is just, he’s impactful having that presence back and that size, and then being able to slide Aaron (Gordon) to the four and be who we were used to being. It was fun to coach that game.”

Valanciunas finished with 16 points and nine rebounds as Denver out-glassed Washington by four. That’s just the third time the team has won the battle of the boards in the 123 games since Nikola Jokic and subsequently Valanciunas went down a game later, leaving the Nuggets without a center for an extended stretch.

His return was needed not only for the rebounding, but it seemed as though the Nuggets had really started to fatigue in recent games, losing to the Hornets, then blowing a lead to the Lakers. That exhaustion showed up early for the Nuggets as Jamal Murray scored just five points in the first half, leaving him with seven since halftime of that Los Angeles loss.

Denver’s leading scorer since Joker went down had a slow start, while the team’s third-leading scorer in this stretch, Tim Hardaway Jr., stayed cold. The veteran shooter scored just twice and has now missed 15 3-pointers in a row, which is likely a career-worst mark. The two struggling to shoot lately underscore just how much has been put on their plates.

“He was tight with the hamstring; he played through it, which was a worry for me. I almost pulled him, but he said he was okay,” Adelman said.”Jamal’s got, like, it’s, you name it, ankle, knee. He is. He’s playing through a lot. He’s doing it for his team, and he’s one of the main, main reasons he’s going to be an all-star, because he’s helped carry this team. His second half was so impactful.”

Murray’s slow start turned fiery late, scoring 19 in the second half and carrying the Nuggets when Watson went back to the locker room to get checked out. The Blue Arrow was a game best plus-18.

But the best news isn’t even Watson’s historic game, which saw him play as mini Victor Wembanyama, or even Valanciunas’ return; it was pregame when the team watched Jokic take warmups, signalling an imminent return from the three-time MVP. Somehow, the Nuggets have gone 8-5 without Big Honey, one of the most stunning things thus far in the NBA season.

What’s next for the Nuggets?

Denver continues the three-game road trip on Friday night in Milwaukee, as part of a very tough six-game stretch in eight nights. The Nuggets wrap up the trip on Sunday in Memphis, then return home on Tuesday to host Detroit, when Jokic could make his return to action.

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