Denver Nuggets: 3 takeaways from huge Game 5 win vs. Spurs

2. The role players can make all the difference

Torrey Craig played 28 minutes, and he scored just one point. That stat line doesn’t matter, because he did exactly what he was supposed to when he was on the floor. He harassed DeMar DeRozan (who shot 6-of-15 for just 17 points) and Rudy Gay (who finished the night with just six points). Craig’s defense is what gets him on the floor, and that held true during Game 5 of this series.

Barton had struggled mightily through the first three games of the series as a starter. Last game, he was moved to the bench, and the difference since then has been night and day. During his two games off the bench, he’s posted shooting splits of .476/.571/.833. During his three games as a starter, his splits were a dismal .290/.077/.375. Meanwhile, Monte Morris also had a solid game with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

The starters are what make the difference for this team for the majority of games, but the Nuggets need their bench players to show up as well. When those role players show up and do everything right, it’s going to be tough to stop Denver on a nightly basis. That’s what the Nuggets were able to get going with their supporting cast Tuesday night.