Pelicans vs. Nuggets: Jokić triple-double, Jamal Murray's 42 lift Denver past New Orleans 141-135 in OT

The Denver Nuggets opened their home schedule with a comeback for the record books. Down by as many as 23 points, Denver rallied to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 141-135 in overtime on Saturday night, Oct. 24, at Ball Arena.

Nikola Jokić scored eight of his 35 points in overtime and finished with 15 rebounds and 10 assists, and Jamal Murray poured in 42 points. The team’s website called it the sixth 22-point second-half comeback in franchise history.

Pelicans vs. Nuggets final score

Denver improved to 1-1. New Orleans fell to 0-3, the Pelicans’ third straight loss to start the season under first-year coach Jamahl Mosley, the Associated Press reported.

How Denver came back

New Orleans shot 65.9% in the first half and built a 23-point lead, per the AP. Denver cut it to 16, and Jokić and Murray combined for 22 of the Nuggets’ 32 points in the third quarter, but the Pelicans still led by 19 going into the fourth.

The Nuggets’ bench sparked the fourth-quarter run, according to NBA.com, and 3-pointers from Murray and Jokić plus a reverse dunk from Aaron Gordon erased the deficit. Denver had a chance to go ahead with 17 seconds left, but Murray made two of three free throws to tie it and force overtime.

In the extra period, rookie Trevon Brazile came up big in his home debut. He scored seven of his 17 points in overtime, and his corner 3-pointer with 1:25 left gave Denver a 133-129 lead. NBA.com noted that Brazile also blocked two 3-point attempts in just his second NBA game.

Player stats: Pelicans vs. Nuggets leaders

Nuggets: - Jamal Murray: 42 points (12-of-25 FG, 8-of-16 3PT, 10-of-13 FT), 6 assists - Nikola Jokić: 35 points (12-of-23 FG), 15 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks - Trevon Brazile: 17 points (6-of-11 FG), 9 rebounds

Pelicans: - Trey Murphy III: 26 points - Dejounte Murray: 22 points - Derik Queen: 17 points - Zion Williamson: 17 points

Jokić closes in on Westbrook

The triple-double was Jokić’s first of the season and the 199th of his regular-season career. That puts him second all-time behind Russell Westbrook, who retired with 209, according to the AP. NBA.com said Jokić is now 10 triple-doubles shy of the record.

Injuries and absences

Denver was short-handed. The Nuggets played without Cam Johnson (ankle) and Alpha Diallo (sprained wrist), and Julian Strawther and Spencer Jones remained out, the AP reported.

For New Orleans, there was some good news: center Yves Messi’s knee injury from Friday night’s game in Utah was diagnosed as a contusion and not something more severe, per the AP.

What’s next

The Nuggets host Golden State on Monday night. The Pelicans and Nuggets meet again quickly: New Orleans hosts Denver on Wednesday night, giving the Pelicans a quick chance at revenge after letting a 23-point lead slip away. New Orleans will be looking for its first win of the season, while Denver will hope to have more of its rotation back by then.

FAQ