Juancho Hernangomez had been sitting on the bench, smoldering, waiting to ignite, burst out, make something happen.
The Nuggets’ forward got his chance Thursday night in a 101-93 comeback win over the Brooklyn Nets at the Pepsi Center. Hernangomez hopes his effort will garner him more quality minutes going forward.
“I hope so, but every game is different,” he said. “It’s tough sometimes when they don’t call your name, but you have to stay ready and stay focused. I have worked really hard. Coach knows I will be ready when they call my name.”
Hernangomez had played in only three of Denver’s first 10 games, but coach Mike Malone, looking to shake things up after an ugly 125-121 home loss to Atlanta on Tuesday, inserted Hernangomez into the game in the first quarter — a rare occurrence indeed.