PHILADELPHIA — Standing at his locker in Chicago late Wednesday, Torrey Craig considered creating a countdown on his cellphone that would set off an alarm on March 23.

“It’ll be like New Year’s,” Craig said with a grin. “You have no idea how ready I am for those two days to be up, so I can just be free and just not worry about anything.”

The significance of that date? It marked the end of the G League season — and the end of all regular-season restrictions on Craig’s two-way contract. The rookie wing is now free to practice and travel with the Nuggets without worrying that those days will “count” toward his limit of 45 with the team. And he’s making the most of his return to the court with Denver, most recently compiling 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting and five rebounds in Friday’s victory at Washington that was crucial to the Nuggets’ playoff push.

“I’m just so impressed with his ability to play at the level he’s playing at on the stage that he’s on,” coach Michael Malone said. “These are big games, and he’s just out there hoopin’, man, which I love. That’s why I’m a big fan of his.”

Craig, who signed a two-way contract last summer after beginning his professional career in Australia, is averaging 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in 16.1 minutes while going 4-of-6 from 3-point distance in his four games since rejoining the Nuggets after a two-week stint in the G League to finish rehabbing a hamstring injury.

He’s building on a rotation role carved out earlier this season thanks to his defensive versatility and ability to knock down outside shots. But to maximize his days with Denver, Craig stopped practicing with the team and often flew commercially to road games. A February hamstring injury occurred just as he started inching closer to the end of his 45 days, so the Nuggets sent him back down to Sioux Falls to get back into game shape. Craig’s return at Memphis on March 17 coincided with leading scorer Gary Harris’ knee injury, which immediately thrust Craig back into the rotation.

Craig can point to small moments that illustrate where he still feels like he’s behind on understanding the Nuggets’ schemes and on building chemistry with teammates. In last Monday’s double-overtime loss at Miami, for instance, he cut toward the basket instead of staying in the right corner to receive a pass from Devin Harris, and later fired the ball to an unsuspecting Will Barton that went out of bounds. But Malone notes that Craig’s athleticism, wingspan and mentality allow him to recover from mistakes quickly on the fly. Related Articles What happened in Nuggets’ devastating Game 2 loss to Lakers, and can they recover?

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“Even if he’s not sure of everything we’re doing, he does everything with energy and effort,” Malone said. “That covers up for so much. If you’re not sure of a play, just play hard.”

Four days after those hiccups in Miami, Craig forced Wizards coach Scott Brooks to call timeout after slashing to the bucket for a layup. His defense on all-star Bradley Beal kept Craig on the floor down the stretch.

And as the Nuggets wrapped up practice Sunday at Temple University in Philadelphia, Craig cracked another smile while shooting at a hoop on his own. He could not remember the last time he went through such a session with his teammates. He was probably the only Nugget who wished it had been a full-contact workout this late in the season.

It was an occasion worthy of a countdown. Now Craig hopes to fully relish his unrestricted time with the Nuggets.

“Just show them that I can be a consistent, impactful player on both ends of the court and just try to fit in wherever I can and play a role,” Craig said.