Nuggets HC Explains Late-Game Lineup Decision in Win vs. Clippers

David Adelman unexpectedly put Nikola Jokic back in the game during the Nuggets' dominant win over the LA Clippers.

Oct 31, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman reacts to a call by an official during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

After falling to the Golden State Warriors in their season opener, the Denver Nuggets have been on a tear ever since. The Nuggets have won nine of their last ten games to improve to 9-2 on the season, most recently dominating the LA Clippers in Intuit Dome on Wednesday night.

In that 130-116 win over LA, the Nuggets led by as many as 22 points, highlighted by a dominant performance from three-time MVP Nikola Jokic with 55 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. However, many were surprised when Jokic checked into the game mid-way through the fourth quarter, despite the Nuggets holding a healthy 19-point lead.

After the game, David Adelman was asked about his decision to put Jokic back into the game in that situation.

"I feel like in the NBA, if you're not up by 40 points, you're gonna put your best players back in and make sure you get to a certain point to win the game," Adelman responded. "There's zero disrespect in that way. There was no, 'How many points does he have?' ...If you're trying to win games in the NBA, 17 points, 18 points is not that big of a deal... It would be stupid for me not to put my best players in to make sure we win the game."

Jokic ultimately played just over two minutes in the fourth quarter after Adelman pulled him, alongside Jamal Murray, Bruce Brown, and Peyton Watson, with just three-and-a-half minutes left. In those two minutes, Jokic tallied three more points and one rebound to his total, but it should certainly not be seen as stat-padding in any form.

Nuggets keeping Jokic's minutes low

One of the most underrated pickups of the offseason across the NBA was the Nuggets' acquisition of Jonas Valanciunas from the Sacramento Kings, and the backup center is helping out Jokic a ton. Jokic has had to play over 33 minutes in just five of Denver's 11 games so far, and has not surpassed that mark in any of their last four contests.

Nov 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) drives to the basket against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Keeping Jokic's minutes low is the key to a successful 82-game season for the Nuggets, and Valanciunas is playing a huge role in helping with that. Adelman admitted that he considered not putting Jokic back into the game in Wednesday's fourth quarter, solely because of how Valanciunas was playing.

"I definitely — because he had sat for a while with Jonas, how good Jonas was playing — I thought about [not putting Jokic back in], but they started to press us and he's one of our best ball-handlers. He can bleed the clock. He's one of the best players alive."

Ideally, there are many fourth quarters where Jokic can take it easy, and despite checking into Wednesday's game to help close out a win, keeping him limited will help the Nuggets in the long run.

More Denver Nuggets Content

• Carmelo Anthony Praises Nikola Jokic, Nuggets for Hot Start
  
• Nikola Jokic Reacts to His Dominant 55-Point Night vs. Clippers
  
• Nuggets Rule Out Two Starters After In-Game Injuries vs. Clippers
  
• Nuggets, Clippers Each List Two Key Starters on Injury Report
  
• Nuggets Get Huge Boost vs. Clippers With Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal Statuses