The height difference between Nuggets point guard Facundo Campazzo (5-foot-10) and Cavaliers forward Dylan Windler (6-6) is significant.
It hardly mattered Wednesday at Ball Arena, though, when Facundo rose to block a Windler jump shot in the second quarter.
“(Facundo) is kind of the guy that no one likes playing against,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said before the game. “He’s just into you all game long. He’s an irritant. He gets into you. We need more of that.”
Campazzo, a 29-year-old NBA rookie signed by Denver from Real Madrid, returned to play for the Nuggets against Cleveland on Wednesday after missing the past two games. A knee injury held him out of Saturday’s loss at the Kings. Campazzo was medically cleared to play Monday against the Bucks, Malone said, but he sat out for precautionary reasons.
“There was a chance he could have played (on Monday),” Malone said. “But it’s one thing saying a guy is cleared to play, and for me, it’s another thing looking a guy in the eyes and saying: ‘Are you ready to play?’
“I just got the sense that maybe another game (of rest) would be best for him to feel better about what he’s dealing with and that knee. He was in the gym this morning. He looks good. We’re definitely going to throw him out there tonight.”
Campazzo, prior to tip-off against Cleveland, had appeared in 20 games this season coming off the bench. His statistical impact has been pedestrian, averaging 3.7 points and 1.7 assists per game. But Campazzo has shown flashes of brilliance, including double-digit scoring efforts against the Timberwolves (twice) and Jazz.
On Wednesday, Campazzo checked into the game late in the first quarter and played 6 minutes before returning to the bench. He entered halftime with one made layup, a trio of missed 3-pointers, two assists, and one block. His learning curve from playing overseas continues.
But the Nuggets need Campazzo more than ever as starting point guard Jamal Murray has struggled to stay healthy and the team remains without injured starter Gary Harris (thigh) and PJ Dozier (knee).
“I love (Campazzo’s) toughness, his grit, his defense, and his ability to make winning plays,” Malone said. “He’s been on the floor in close games for us this season and I think he’s only going to get better. We’ve definitely missed him the last couple of games.”
The Nuggets host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday as the third matchup of a current four-game homestand.
