Nuggets’ bench is finally doing more than surviving the non-Jokic minutes

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Indiana Pacers 114-102 in Mexico City to improve to a 5-3 record, largely thanks to crucial contributions from their bench unit. Writer David Decker highlights that Denver's second unit extended an eight-point lead to 19 points in the second quarter while Nikola Jokic rested, outscoring Indiana 24-13 during that stretch.

Denver's bench totaled 42 points, led by Spencer Jones scoring 13 points in his season debut, DeMar DeRozan adding 11, and Marvin Bagley III contributing 10. Decker argues that Bagley's presence anchoring the non-Jokic minutes has made the bench more productive than it has been in recent seasons.