In a battle waged between two of the biggest teams in basketball, the Nuggets made their last stand by going small.
They didn’t have much of a choice.
Eight of their 18 players were not available for the last 83 seconds of overtime, and the remaining 10 consisted of almost no big men. No Jonas Valanciunas (fouled out, ages ago). No Aaron Gordon (in street clothes with a hamstring injury). No DaRon Holmes (on assignment to the G League several states away). No Peyton Watson (removed from the game early with a limp).