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NEW ORLEANS — The Denver Nuggets opened the fourth quarter with nine straight points Saturday night and turned a four-point lead into a 13-point cushion. Denver beat the New Orleans Pelicans 116-108 at Smoothie King Center, and New Orleans got no closer than eight the rest of the way.
Denver went 4-of-16 from three, while New Orleans made 13 of its 33 attempts. The Nuggets made up the difference inside, outscoring the Pelicans 62-44 in the paint and going 28-of-37 at the free-throw line to New Orleans’ 21-of-33. Denver shot 52.5% from the field and outrebounded New Orleans 47-38.
The Nuggets finished a four-game road trip 3-1 and improved to 7-4. They have won all three meetings with New Orleans this season. The Pelicans fell to 4-10 and have lost six in a row, four of them at home.
Nikola Jokić had 26 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals. He made 9 of 14 shots and all seven of his free throws. Jamal Murray scored 23 points with 7 rebounds and 9 assists on 9-of-16 shooting and finished plus-16. Christian Braun had 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals, and Marvin Bagley III added 7 points and 7 rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench.
Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Jordan Poole scored 14 off the bench, and rookie Jaron Pierre Jr. had 13 points in 23 minutes after playing a G League game earlier in the day.
Nuggets coach David Adelman was asked what a trip that ended with three wins in four games said about his team.
“It feels like we’ve been gone for two months. I thought it said a lot about the character of the group and just trying to get yourself ready and just do enough to win games,” Adelman said.
“I told the guys after the game, in the end, it’s the total. How many games can you win? And to go home seven and four, you know, it’s a real positive. I thought a lot of guys on this trip stepped up at different times. I just really wish we’d shoot more threes,” Adelman continued.
Denver Nuggets Take A 56-51 Lead Into Halftime
Jeremiah Fears scored New Orleans’ first five points, and the Pelicans led 5-2 before Jokić tied it with a 25-foot 3-pointer. Aaron Gordon followed with a cutting dunk off a Murray pass, and Denver did not trail again. Jokić scored 9 points in the first quarter, and DeMar DeRozan made two free throws with no time left for a 29-23 lead.
Murray scored three straight Denver baskets midway through the second quarter, the last a 17-foot step-back with 4:53 left for a 44-36 lead. New Orleans cut it to 52-51 on a Pierre layup with 53 seconds left. Trevon Brazile made a free throw, and Gordon hit a 26-foot 3-pointer with 26 seconds left to send Denver into halftime ahead 56-51. Jokić had 12 points and 5 assists at the break.
Denver made three 3-pointers in the first half. Adelman was asked whether his team passed up open looks from beyond the arc.
“Yes, especially I thought in the first half, you know, I thought we would turn down a great shot and then end up with a okay shot at the end of the shot clock. And we have guys that can make really tough plays. Jamal made a lot of really tough shots again,” Adelman said.
“But I’d like to see us guys be more confident to shoot the thing. It just leads to flow. It leads to offensive rebounding,” Adelman continued.
Adelman added that Denver got to the free-throw line 37 times and won the game physically, but he wants more balance.
Nuggets Open The Fourth Quarter On A 9-0 Run
Jokić scored on a driving hook to start the second half, and Gordon’s two free throws with 9:33 left gave Denver its first double-digit lead, 64-53. Williamson answered with two 3-pointers 78 seconds apart. Later in the quarter, Pierre hit a 26-foot 3-pointer and followed it with a running dunk, and Denver called timeout with its lead down to 75-69.
Braun scored on an alley-oop from Jokić out of the timeout and made the free throw. Karlo Matkovic hit a 3-pointer with 32 seconds left to make it 84-82, but Jokić made two free throws for an 86-82 lead after three quarters.
Spencer Jones opened the fourth with a driving layup. Bagley scored on a tip-in and added a free throw, Murray scored on a drive, and Cameron Johnson’s layup with 9:11 left made it 95-82. DeRozan’s turnaround jumper with 6:38 left pushed the margin to 102-87, Denver’s largest of the night.
Jokić and Murray combined for 49 points and 19 assists, and Jokić assisted on four of Murray’s nine baskets. Pelicans coach Jamahl Mosley had talked about adjusting New Orleans’ coverages against them, and he was asked how well the Pelicans carried out those changes.
“I thought we did a better job in a couple places. You know, obviously they still had some points in the paint. We did a better job on the three-point line,” Mosley said.
“They manipulate anything you do, and so whatever adjustment you make, Joker and Jamal do an unbelievable job, as well as coach, of finding those little tweaks. And they’ve been doing it so long together. Whatever adjustment you make, they’re countering it, and they find it within the game. So you’ve got to be quick on the fly with those guys,” Mosley continued.
New Orleans grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and scored 16 second-chance points. Adelman was asked about Denver’s work on the defensive glass.
“That’s been our kind of the bugaboo this year for us. You know, we’ve lost some games that we had control of because we gave away so many possessions. And I thought early in the game, and a little bit in the third quarter, we gave them a lot of possessions. But once we shored that up, the defensive rebound, now you’re controlling the pace, you’re controlling the tempo, and the possession game. So that’s a key for us for sure,” Adelman said.
All five Denver starters had at least five rebounds. Bagley, who had 3 offensive rebounds, was asked how much it helps when the work on the glass is shared.
“Oh man, it’s very helpful for us to all come down and help each other. When everybody’s rebounding, just makes, like you just said, it makes Yoke’s life easier, and we can get the ball and get out to offense,” Bagley said.
“Even on offense, getting those extra second-chance points and trying to get another shot after we miss is always good for us. So, like I said, we did a good job tonight of bringing that effort on the rebound, and we just got to keep building on it,” Bagley continued.
Williamson’s three-point play with 1:56 left cut it to 109-101. Jokić answered with two free throws, and Murray found Braun for a dunk with 39 seconds left that made it 113-101.
Jaron Pierre Jr. Plays For Laketown And New Orleans On The Same Day
The New Orleans native scored 23 points in 36 minutes for the Laketown Squadron in an 11 a.m. game in Kenner, according to the Pelicans. That night, he went 5-of-11 from the field and 2-of-5 from three against Denver. Eight of his 13 points came in the third quarter.
Mosley was asked how impressive it was for Pierre to play two games in one day.
“That’s very impressive. But again, it’s the spirit of him. Like he’s a joy to be around because he’s got an energy and a spirit about him that’s just like, you know, he’s pure. Just wants to play the game of basketball,” Mosley said.
“Obviously, being from here, he represents the city. He represented it very well. The life that he has, the energy that he has, what he brings into a building every single day, the care factor that he has, the humility that he has. I think those are things that we talk about. What it means to represent the city. He’s from it, and that’s what it looks like,” Mosley continued.
Zion Williamson Scores 24 As The Pelicans Lose A Sixth Straight
Williamson made a 16-foot pull-up in the first quarter and both of his 3-pointers in the third. He scored 12 points in that period and finished with 6 rebounds. Mosley was asked whether he wants Williamson to keep taking those shots when he is open.
“I can’t say enough about him, and like I got chills right now because the work this young man has put in. The care factor that I’ve seen him have is special. You know, doing whatever is necessary to help this team get over the hump, taking on all challenges. Wants to be coached, asks what he needs to do for this team, and that is what we’ve asked him to do,” Mosley said.
Saddiq Bey had 16 points but made 4 of 15 shots, and he went 6-of-6 at the line. Poole made all seven of his free throws and had 5 assists. Fears finished with 13 points and 7 assists, Derik Queen had 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, and Herbert Jones scored 10. New Orleans’ bench outscored Denver’s 42-27, and the Pelicans had a 21-15 edge in fast-break points.
Yves Missi returned after missing 10 games with a knee injury and had 3 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks in 22 minutes on a minutes restriction. Mosley was asked whether he would feel better leaving the arena after this game than after the previous few losses.
“Not the outcome you want. Not a moral victory guy, but the energy, the effort, the togetherness, the focus. Things that we know we can clean up, but that spirit, that fight, is what we expect from these guys every single night, and they know that,” Mosley said.
What’s Next For The Nuggets And Pelicans
Trey Murphy III (bilateral patellar tendinopathy) missed his fourth straight game for New Orleans, and Dejounte Murray (left ankle sprain) missed his second straight. The Pelicans were also without Bennedict Mathurin (left plantar fasciitis), Bryce McGowens (left elbow infection), and Trendon Watford (right ankle sprain). Julian Strawther (left knee sprain) did not play for Denver.
The Nuggets host the Phoenix Suns on Monday at Ball Arena. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. CT. The Pelicans host the Golden State Warriors on Monday at 7 p.m. CT.
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