Peyton Watson got the exact opposite of what he hoped in the Nuggets’ 130-117 win over the Jazz on Wednesday in Utah.

At Tuesday’s practice, Watson said he wanted to have his minutes ramped up in Wednesday’s game against the Jazz. Instead, Watson left after playing a little more than nine minutes with right hamstring tightness. It’s the same muscle he strained in early February, costing Watson six weeks of a breakout season. He had yet to play more than 23 minutes in any of the four games since he returned to the rotation.

Watson wasn’t the only exit before halftime. Tim Hardaway Jr. left with left knee soreness after playing a little more than 10 minutes off the bench. The veteran has been one of Denver’s few steadily healthy players this season, missing only one of Denver’s first 77 games.

Neither Watson nor Hardaway played in the second half. Nuggets coach David Adelman rolled with an eight-man rotation for the meaningful parts of the second half, adding Julian Strawther to the rotation.

Denver was already shorthanded without Spencer Jones (right hamstring strain) and Zeke Nnaji (left hip sprain). Both forwards were injured in Sunday’s game.

The Nuggets don’t play again until Saturday.