The Nuggets' Corey Brewer and Arron Afflalo react after defeating the Pacers 113-109 on Saturday in Indianapolis. (The Associated Press).
Last Saturday, Corey Brewer took the court against the Pacers with a lot on his mind and a little more on his shoulders.
His father Ellis Wayne Beaver, 68, passed away on Feb. 5 in Portland, and Brewer took a three-game leave of absence to mourn his death with his family. His father’s funeral was only one day in the past as he took a long, thoughtful flight from Portland all the way to Indiana for a road game against a tough Pacers squad. And with some of his Nuggets teammates dealing with injuries such as Rudy Fernandez (back) and Danilo Gallinari (ankle), Brewer was asked to make his first start of the season and the first of his career with Denver, which was in the midst of a five-game losing streak.
Despite all that, Brewer notched 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting to go with five rebounds and two steals in 34 minutes of play. And Brewer’s inspirational effort, which came in his first game without his main inspiration, is precisely what lifted the Nuggets to a much-needed victory.
“His energy was amazing,” Denver shooting guard Arron Afflalo told The Associated Press after the game. “I think he’s the reason we won tonight. We fed off him all night long. This was a great game for him and a good game for us.”
Brewer’s father — whom Corey and others called “PeeWee” — suffered from multiple illnesses, including diabetes. Corey currently hosts an annual camp in Gainesville dedicated to health and diabetes awareness for children.
The tragic news came right before what was sure to be a pair of meaningful games for the fifth-year pro. Brewer was slated to go head-to-head (and man-to-man at small forward) against fellow Gator Chandler Parsons and his Rockets for the first time this year on Feb. 6. Then, the same Mavericks team that Brewer won an NBA title with last summer was scheduled to visit Denver on Feb. 8. Instead, Brewer had to miss those two contests and a third against the Warriors.
It would be an understatement to describe Brewer’s performance on Saturday as an act of professionalism. He didn’t have to be the spark for his team, but he was. His number was called, and he took 16 shots — only the fourth time this year that Brewer had taken 10 or more shots in a game.
Now, more will be asked of Brewer than ever before at the pro level as Denver will be without a key player in Gallinari for a month. The Nuggets play the Suns Tuesday at 9 p.m.
“We’ve lost a few games in a row and now we have to get back on the winning streak,” Brewer told The AP after the win over Indiana. “We’ve got one. Time to get two or three or more.”
This is shaping up to be one of those stretches that defines a team’s character. Saturday’s effort went a long way to define Brewer’s. And he has a prime chance to shine as he endures maybe the darkest period of his life.
