Peyton Watson Reacts to Michael Porter Sighting at Nuggets-Pelicans

In the midst of the Denver Nuggets' latest road win over the New Orleans Pelicans, 122-116, a familiar face from this roster had made a rare appearance in the building as a spectator to watch the action unfold for his former team, that being current Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr.

Porter, while on a new team and in a new city following Denver's offseason trade to ship Porter to the Big Apple in exchange for Cam Johnson, has remained supportive of his former Nuggets teammates throughout his entire process of relocating this past summer—so much so that he even decided to show up for a regular season outing on the road to get a glimpse at the team he was once a part of, and saw them get a nice win in the process.

After the game, Porter's appearance even got some recognition from his former teammates that had seen him in the building for the victory; one of those being fourth-year forward Peyton Watson, who had a few positive words to dish his way after the action unfolded.

“That’s my dog. I love that guy to death," Watson said postgame of Porter Jr.

"That's my dog."

Following his impressive 31-point performance, Peyton Watson was hyped up to greet his pal, Michael Porter Jr., who was in attendance cheering his former teammate on 💪 pic.twitter.com/ep2OqIHreN
— NBA (@NBA) January 14, 2026

Watson dove a bit deeper into his interactions with Porter after the game, noting that he even had said a few things to Porter throughout the night for another strong performance on his behalf, but doesn't quite remember the context.

"I said a few things to him. I hit a few shots and I, you know, I black out when I'm out there," Watson said, "I just, you know, go with how I feel. I love the game so much."

Peyton Watson Shines in Front of Michael Porter Jr. in Win vs. Pelicans

Porter wound up catching his guys, and particularly Watson, at the right time too, as it turned out to be one of the best nights that the Nuggets forward has had this season since his role has been elevated in the rotation.

Throughout a team-high 39 minutes of play, Watson had 31 points, seven rebounds, and five assists with a game-high +15 plus-minus, and was the catalyst for another Denver victory while without several notable fixtures of their typical rotation.

While Jamal Murray did get back into the fold after resting for three of his past four games with a nagging ankle injury, it was still an outing that the Nuggets were forced to play without three starters: Nikola Jokic and Cameron Johnson with their lingering knee injuries, Christian Braun who was out once again with his ankle issue, and Jonas Valanciunas still being stuck on the sidelines with a calf ailment.

Jan 13, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson (8) reacts to making a basket against the New Orleans Pelicans during the fourth quarter at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Regardless of who was in and who was out, Watson made it look like just another day in the office, and has seen his career-best campaign continue in full force because of it.

In 38 games this year, Watson has been averaging a career-best 13.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while playing just under 30 minutes a night, shooting extremely efficient splits of 51.1% from the field and 40.8% from three, and has remained a consistent piece in the lineup for each and every regular season game but two.

Without Watson, it'd be hard to imagine where the Nuggets would be sitting in the Western Conference. But right now, even with their latest injury troubles, they're tied for a top-two seed, getting healthier by the day, and are seeing some unlikely heroes stepping up to the occasion all throughout.

Peyton Watson Shines in Front of Michael Porter Jr. in Win vs. Pelicans

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