The Denver Nuggets have been ravaged with injuries all season long, and they just received another blow in Wednesday’s game against the Knicks. In the 134-127 double overtime loss, the Nuggets lost one of their featured role-players, marking yet another setback in what has been a challenging season.
This time, it was Peyton Watson who went down after 33 minutes of playing time in New York. In a clip that has surfaced online, you can see the moment of occurrence as Watson tweaked his hamstring while running on a play. He went to the locker room right away and did not return, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block on 30.8% shooting and 16.7% shooting from three.
Peyton Watson went down with a hamstring injury on this play. pic.twitter.com/u6fpMRv8tr
— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) February 5, 2026
Watson’s exit came on top of various other injuries for Denver, including Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Cam Johnson (knee), who both missed tonight’s game. Christian Braun after recovering from an ankle sprain. Of course, that’s not to mention the stretch earlier this season, when the Nuggets were down four out of five starters (including Nikola Jokic) for several weeks.
While the Nuggets are still relatively healthy, the loss of Watson could be huge for them as they fight to stay within the top three in the West. Tonight’s loss marks their third straight, and now there’s just a half-game gap between their current position and the fourth-place Houston Rockets.
With a stacked roster that has plenty of depth and star power, it’s truly a “next man up” mentality for the Nuggets. They will need others to step up and provide that spark on the wing, but there is no denying that the road just got tougher.
If Peyton is out for an extended period, it’ll leave the Nuggets more vulnerable in the frontcourt and notably thinner in the rotation. In 48 games this season, he’s been huge in his role for the club with averages of 15.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game on 50.1% shooting and 42.5% shooting from three.
Only time will tell how this injury will impact Denver’s season, but the margin for error is dangerously slim in the West. An injury like this is all it takes to drag a team down several spots in the standings, but there is hope the Nuggets can stay afloat. With Nikola Jokic healthy and available, the recipe for victory remains intact, but it will take a coordinated and focused effort to maintain this current winning pace.
