Peyton Watson is progressing in a couple of areas that allow him to play alongside Nikola Jokic.

The second-year wing is showing more comfort from 3-point range. After missing all seven of the 3-pointers he took in the month of November, Watson shot 37.8% from distance, on 2.5 attempts per game in December. The percentage dropped to 29.5 percent in January, but the attempts were up to 2.9 per game. He started February by making both of his 3s in the fourth quarter of Friday’s win over Portland and going 2 for 3 in Sunday’s 112-103 win.

“That’s a shot that I work on, and I’m not going to let nobody disrespect my work,” Watson said after Sunday’s game. “I do it too much, too often, and it was just one of those things where the game gave me what it gave me, and I took it.”

Watson made his only shot in the first half of Sunday’s game, a short jumper from a step inside the free throw line, and grabbed a couple of rebounds, one of which came after he rejected Deandre Ayton at the rim on an alley-oop attempt. Even though he got the highlight block, he wasn’t completely satisfied.

“Honestly, I was mad at myself because I was a little bit late,” Watson said. “But those plays are always kind of good and bad, because you do what you can to make it up, but in this league, it’s unforgiving, you know. I could’ve been on the other end of a poster any given night. So I just went up, tried to make a play on the ball, and I was able to block it successfully. But I was definitely mad at myself, because I wasn’t in position where I needed to be.”

Then, the second-year wing stretched Denver’s lead to seven with a confident, pull-up 3 early in the fourth when no Trail Blazers stepped to him.

“That was one of those ‘No, no, no – great shot,’” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said after Denver’s second win over Portland. “The kid’s got balls, man.”

Watson added another mid-range jumper and threw down a put-back dunk before he hit his second 3 in the middle of the fourth. Watson’s only miss came from the right wing in the final minute of Sunday’s win, as he finished 5 of 6 from the field for 12 points to go with six rebounds, two steals, one block and one assist. In the two games against Portland, Watson went a combined 11 of 14 from the field and 4 of 5 from 3-point range.

“He’s a guy that comes early and stays late whether it’s with coaches or coming back, shooting on the gun, getting reps after reps,” Malone said after Friday’s game.

“For every shot he’s making in a game, he’s got a thousand reps up on the practice court. That’s what you want from a young player. You want a young player saying ‘OK, these are the areas I have to improve upon, and I’m going to be open out there.’ Teams are going to really show a crowd to Nikola and to Jamal (Murray) and to Michael (Porter Jr.).”

The attention paid to Denver’s three highest scorers has left Watson wide open behind the arc in certain games. Watson scored a career-high 20 points against Memphis on Dec. 28 when he went 4 for 10 from deep. He went 1 for 6 the next night against Oklahoma City but kept shooting, going 2 for 4 from 3 in three of the next four games.

“I don’t take it personally at all, you know what I’m saying? They can play me how they want to, and you’ll just see it on the stat sheet,” Watson said in the postgame locker room Friday.

“People are going to learn sooner or later. I’m only getting better and better. I think just having confidence in that shot and me having confidence in me is the only thing that matters. You can’t control how nobody else guards you, but if that’s what they want to leave open, then, I’m ready to shoot it all day.”

The other important area of improvement comes inside the arc. Watson’s getting more and more comfortable playing behind the defense in the dunker’s spot, a piece of space outside the lane along the baseline. When Jokic has the ball in the middle of the court with shooters spaced out on the perimeter, having an athletic player around the rim forces the defense to make a tough decision.

“That’s when we’re probably at our best, when Nikola has the ball in the middle of the floor. But Peyton will figure it out,” Malone said. “He’s had some really good examples of it, and I have no doubt that he’ll continue to find a way to be even better.”

That’s where his athletic gifts can shine in a role like the one Aaron Gordon has mastered. Watson could’ve added to his 14 points in Friday’s game with a little more chemistry with Jokic in that role.

“Timing is everything. There was a play tonight where I didn’t quite time it right, and it was unsuccessful, but it’s literally less than a second. I should have time to make that decision,” Watson said.

“As soon as I see his eyes, or he locks eyes with me or even when I see him go up into his shooting motion, I’m just ready to jump no matter what, because you know he’ll throw it off the no-look, behind his back, behind his head. You just got to be ready at all times. I just try to stay light on my feet.”

The development on the perimeter and just outside the paint has allowed Watson to be considered for Denver’s closing lineup. He played the clutch portions of Friday’s game alongside Denver’s starters and scored 10 of his points in the fourth quarter. Sunday he scored 10 of his 12 points in the fourth while playing alongside Jokic.

“Being a young player at 21 years old and being able to play valuable and significant minutes for a reigning-champion team, it means the world to me,” Watson said. “I’ll never take it for granted, and I appreciate people trusting me with that role.”

NUGGETS 112, TRAIL BLAZERS 103

What happened: The game started much differently than Friday’s, but the result was another Nuggets win.

The Trail Blazers led by 12 after one quarter and held onto a 63-60 advantage at halftime. An 11-0 Nuggets run to close the third quarter gave Denver it’s first lead of the game, 86-84 to start the fourth. Denver took a 10-point lead a few minutes into the fourth and held on to improve to 35-16 on the season.

What went right: Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray combined for 17 assists and three turnovers. Murray led the charge with 10 assists and just one turnover, while Jokic had a 7-to-2 ratio. Jokic led the way with 29 points, while Murray added 21.

What went wrong: Portland’s Anfernee Simons picked up right where he left off Friday. After scoring 26 of his 29 points after halftime in the first game of the weekend, Simons scored 15 first-half points Sunday. He needed just seven shots to get there, starting 4 of 5 from 3-point range.

Highlight of the night: Michael Porter Jr. got it done on both ends to bring Denver within one point early in the third. First, he blocked Jabari Walker’s driving layup. Then, with the shot clocking running down, Porter got out to the perimeter to block Matisse Thybulle’s jumper. Nikola Jokic grabbed the rebound, while Porter ran downcourt and finished an alley-oop from Jamal Murray.

Up next: The Nuggets are off the play the Lakers in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson, left, jokes with center Nikola Jokic in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

David Zalubowski

Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson, right, looks to drive the lane as Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson, left, defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

David Zalubowski