Peyton Watson scored a career-high 35 points to lead the short-handed Denver Nuggets to a 107-97 victory over the Washington Wizards

Peyton Watson scored a career-high 35 points to go along with eight rebounds, fueling the visiting Denver Nuggets to a 107-97 victory over the Washington Wizards on Thursday.

Denver avoids the first three-game losing streak of the season behind a career night from Peyton Watson (35-8-3-2-4 on 10-16 FG, 6-8 3PT). Jamal Murray scores 19 of his 24 after halftime. Jonas Valanciunas posts 16 and 8 in 22 minutes in his return.

WASHINGTON— Peyton Watson scored a career-high 35 points to lead the short-handed Denver Nuggets to a 107-97 victory over the Washington Wizards in the NBA on Thursday night. Jamal Murray added 24 points for the Nuggets,

Valanciunas will start Thursday versus the Wizards, Katy Winge of Altitude Sports reports. Valanciunas will replace DaRon Holmes in the first unit for Thursday's game and he'll be joined by Jamal Murray,

The Denver Nuggets face the Washington Wizards as Nikola Jokic remains sidelined with injury while Jonas Valanciunas nears a possible return.

Especially when operating without the one-of-a-kind talent that is Jokic, the job becomes a bit tougher for any team, and while Denver has floated above .500 without him, getting him back sooner rather than later would likely be ideal for this championship-ready roster.

Valanciunas is available to play for the first time since Dec. 31 due to a calf strain. The veteran center could have a minutes restriction, but his return should have a negative impact on the minutes of Zeke Nnaji and DaRon Holmes.