Nuggets Could Rest Multiple Starters for 76ers Game

The Denver Nuggets have been hit with the injury bug this season, but Sunday's game against the Brooklyn Nets offered some hope of better days to come. Despite a crushing loss in Brooklyn, the Nuggets got both Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon back from long absences.

The Nuggets have now lost four of their last five games, but they head into the second night of a back-to-back with a road matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. With Braun and Gordon still ramping up from their injury absences and Jamal Murray playing 40 minutes on Sunday night while dealing with an ankle issue, could the Nuggets opt to rest a few starters on Monday?

"We'll talk about it with the medical staff," Nuggets head coach David Adelman said about Monday's game. "Obviously, I've got to be careful with Jamal. I've got to be careful with CB and Aaron as well. They came back. I thought they showed moments, they looked good, and in other moments they looked very tired... But yeah, we have to take a serious look at tomorrow, making sure we're taking care of our guys the right way."

Dec 15, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman during the game against the Houston Rockets at Ball Arena. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Who could the Nuggets rest vs. 76ers?

The Nuggets are in a tough position heading into Philadelphia, as the last thing they want is to suffer more injury problems. However, they certainly do not want to lose their third straight game and fifth in their last six.

With Nikola Jokic still out of the lineup for multiple weeks, it makes it far more difficult to give guys like Murray and Gordon the night off when they desperately need them to stay competitive.

Jamal Murray 27 PTS, 6 REB, 16 AST, 11/23 FG, 4/4 FT, 4 TO, 54.5% TS vs Nets https://t.co/uUSVcVf6M1 pic.twitter.com/K9COWIwVDU
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) January 5, 2026

Adelman also admitted how he has been playing Tim Hardaway Jr. more than he would like, saying, "I've played Tim into the ground as well. We're not trying to play him 34 minutes, 40 minutes a game, which I've been doing as of late."

The 76ers should have all of their stars healthy for Monday's game, and if the Nuggets decide to give their starters some rest, there is a very low chance they leave Philly with a win. Regardless, that could be the best course of action to keep their guys healthy.

Who could the Nuggets rest vs. 76ers?

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