NEW ORLEANS – When Nuggets wing Will Barton woke up this past Monday in Minnesota, the aches of the NBA’s grueling schedule were weighing him down.
He was exhausted from the previous night – Indiana’s 41-point fourth quarter left the Nuggets disgusted with their defense – and pondering sitting out against the Timberwolves. It was the finale of Denver’s third consecutive back-to-back set — an almost unheard of scheduling quirk that coincided with the Nuggets’ worst rash of injuries this season.
Their injury report heading into the game read like a depressing laundry list: Jamal Murray, left ankle – out; Paul Millsap, left knee – out; Gary Harris, right adductor – out.