Why Hardaway has remained off the bench for Denver even when starters have been injured and younger players have slotted in above him. And why Hardaway’s embrace of that role has been essential to a career year.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored nine of his points in the fourth quarter as the Nuggets rallied from down 94-85 for a bounce-back win over Toronto.

“There are too many talented small-ball lineups that abuse pick-and-roll coverage, and if you can make it a 1-on-1 game and force turnovers, that adds a layer to your team that we had when we won it,” David Adelman pointed out this week when discussing switchable man-to-man defense.

Reconstructing the Nuggets’ roster based on the best college careers, from Duke to Siena.

Jokic’s 10 turnovers matched a career-high, as impressive efforts from Christian Braun and Cam Johnson weren’t enough on a brutal back-to-back.

“We played well last week. Flat-out did,” David Adelman said Tuesday after what he saw as a continuation of that week in a rout of the 76ers.