Three Key Standouts From Nuggets' Shorthanded Win vs. Thunder

Typically, a matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder would be loaded with stars, headlined by an MVP battle of Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Friday night's matchup was the opposite.

The Nuggets rested all five of their starters, while the Thunder ultimately ruled out ten players. 17 total players were sidelined for Friday's game, shining a light on a handful of players who had elevated roles and opportunities they do not usually have. With Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and more key players ruled out, who stepped up for the Nuggets in Friday's 127-107 win over the Thunder?

Jonas Valanciunas lives up to expectations

Apr 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (17) leaves the court in the second quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Ball Arena. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Jonas Valanciunas came into Denver with expectations of being the best backup center in the NBA. However, in late March, he went five consecutive games without playing a single minute, seemingly falling out of the rotation entirely.

With Jokic sidelined for Friday's game, Valanciunas showed the Nuggets why they traded for him last offseason. In his sixth start of the season, he finished with 23 points, 17 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks, shooting 9-14 from the field. Of course, it is not too much of a shock that the 14-year veteran big man was able to dominate Oklahoma City's damaged frontcourt, but it was still great to see this type of performance from him.

Valanciunas has now dropped 14+ points in three consecutive games, making his mark in Denver's rotation.

Julian Strawther catches fire

Mar 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther (3) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Every Nuggets fan remembers Julian Strawther's Game 6 performance against the Thunder in the second round of last year's playoffs, and the young guard picked up where he left off last May.

In Friday's win, Strawther led the Nuggets in shot attempts, finishing with 22 points on 8-17 shooting from the field and 4-7 from beyond the arc. Strawther has proven that when he gets hot, it is hard to cool him off, and he showed it again in the second quarter. Strawther had a quick ten points in six minutes in the second period, giving the Nuggets some life on offense.

Jamal Murray recently expressed how important Strawther will be for the Nuggets in the playoffs, and when he is playing at this level, it is obvious why he believes that.

David Roddy makes the most of the opportunity

Mar 6, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward David Roddy (45) the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Ball Arena. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Nuggets took a chance on David Roddy with a two-way contract, and on Friday, he made just his fourth on-court appearance with the team. In a season-high 26 minutes off the bench, Roddy dropped 21 points on efficient 8-12 shooting from the field.

Even after taking an elbow to the face by Lu Dort, Roddy dropped 16 points in the fourth quarter to help the Nuggets outscore the Thunder 37-22 en route to a much-needed 20-point win.

The Nuggets will now move on to face the San Antonio Spurs in their season finale, where the starters will likely be back in action. It was great for the "other guys" to be able to lead Denver to a win on Friday night, even if it came against a severely shorthanded Thunder team.

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