The Denver Nuggets defeated the severely depleted Philadelphia 76ers 124-96 on Tuesday night. Controlling the pace wire-to-wire, Denver built a lead as large as 33 points against a Philadelphia roster missing its primary stars.
Christian Braun led the scoring effort for Denver with 22 points. Center Nikola Jokic directed the offense efficiently, distributing 14 assists as the Nuggets kept a firm grip on fifth place in the Western Conference standings.
Playing without Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia struggled to generate consistent offense. The team shot 22 percent from three-point range, converting just nine of their 41 attempts from beyond the arc. The lack of spacing and shot creation proved insurmountable against a top-tier opponent in professional sports.
Rookie VJ Edgecombe experienced a difficult outing for Philadelphia, managing nine points on 3-for-12 shooting while navigating foul trouble throughout the contest. Reserve MarJon Beauchamp provided a rare offensive bright spot, leading the 76ers with 16 points and hitting four of his nine three-point attempts.
Denver now prepares for a quick turnaround as they travel to face the Memphis Grizzlies. Philadelphia continues to search for developmental success from two-way players like Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker while waiting for their star tandem to return.
March 17, 2026
Philadelphia 76ers @ Denver Nuggets
Score: 96 – 124The score combination 124-96 has occurred 6 times. The last time it occurred was when the Chicago Bulls defeated the Portland Trail Blazers on March 24, 2023.
— NBA_Scorigami (@NBA_Sc0rigami) March 18, 2026