Denver Nuggets vs New Orleans Pelicans — Recap

📰Game Recap

The Denver Nuggets established an early advantage against the New Orleans Pelicans, overwhelming their opponent 37-18 in the opening quarter. This dominant start set the tone for Denver's wire-to-wire win, an outcome that SportsFBI’s model had leaned toward with a 78% probability. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets' offensive charge with 23 points, including five 3-pointers, complemented by six assists. Nikola Jokic orchestrated Denver's attack, logging a triple-double with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists on efficient 8-of-13 shooting.

Despite the early deficit, New Orleans mounted a significant comeback attempt across the middle quarters. The Pelicans outscored Denver 27-20 in the second quarter and continued to chip away with a 28-22 advantage in the third. Zion Williamson was central to New Orleans' rally, scoring an efficient 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting, adding five rebounds and two assists. Aaron Gordon contributed a double-double for Denver with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Christian Braun added 15 points and four assists, including three 3-pointers, helping the Nuggets maintain a slim lead through the Pelicans' surge.

Denver regained control in the final frame, once again asserting their dominance by outscoring New Orleans 25-18 in the fourth quarter to close out the contest. The Nuggets' balanced offensive output and Jokic's all-around play ultimately proved too much for the Pelicans' efforts. New Orleans could not fully overcome the large first-quarter deficit despite Williamson's strong performance, as Denver stabilized its play and secured the 104-91 victory.