Nuggets
PelicansThe Denver Nuggets beat the New Orleans Pelicans 116-108 on Saturday, November 14, at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
The Nuggets led 56-51 at halftime. They did the most damage in the first quarter, winning it 29-23. The biggest lead for the Nuggets was 15 points; the Pelicans led by as many as 3.
Top performers
Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting, with 8 rebounds and 10 assists. Jamal Murray added 23 points and 7 rebounds. For the Pelicans, Zion Williamson had 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting, with 6 rebounds. Saddiq Bey added 16 points and 6 rebounds.
Double-double: Nikola Jokic (26 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists). The Pelicans bench outscored the Nuggets reserves 42-27.
- Nikola Jokic (DEN): 26 PTS, 8 REB, 10 AST, 9-14 FG, 37 MIN
- Zion Williamson (NOP): 24 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 9-16 FG, 31 MIN
- Jamal Murray (DEN): 23 PTS, 7 REB, 9 AST, 9-16 FG, 38 MIN
- Christian Braun (DEN): 17 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST, 6-14 FG, 28 MIN
- Saddiq Bey (NOP): 16 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 4-15 FG, 41 MIN
- Jordan Poole (NOP): 14 PTS, 2 REB, 5 AST, 3-7 FG, 24 MIN
By the numbers
The Nuggets shot 52.5% from the field (42-of-80) and went 4-of-16 from three-point range; the Pelicans shot 41.6% and went 13-of-33 from deep. The Nuggets won the rebounding battle 47-38. The Nuggets outscored their opponents 62-44 in the paint. Assists: Nuggets 29, Pelicans 25.
Context
The Nuggets improved to 7-4 with their second straight win, while the Pelicans fell to 4-10, their sixth loss in a row. The season series stands at 3-0 in favor of the Nuggets. Our Elo model made the Nuggets 69% favorites before tip-off.
Up next: the Nuggets host the Suns on Monday, Nov 16; the Pelicans host the Warriors on Monday, Nov 16.
Attendance: 15,721 at Smoothie King Center. Officials: James Capers, Brent Barnaky, Kevin Scott, CJ Washington and Tyler Ricks.