Nikola Jokic records 200th career triple-double as Nuggets beat winless Pelicans 104-91

Nikola Jokic reached another milestone on Wednesday night, Oct. 28. The Denver star had 21 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the 200th regular-season triple-double of his career, and the Denver Nuggets never trailed in a 104-91 win over the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center.

The result evened Denver at 2-2 and dropped New Orleans to 0-4 under first-year coach Jamahl Mosley, according to The Associated Press recap published by CBS Sports. Denver also swept a two-game, home-and-home set with the Pelicans.

Nuggets vs. Pelicans: final score

Denver did its damage early. The Nuggets shot 62% in the first quarter and led 37-18 after 12 minutes, according to the AP. Marvin Bagley III’s runner made it 44-22 with about nine minutes left in the second quarter, Denver’s biggest lead.

How close did the Pelicans get?

New Orleans won the second and third quarters and cut a 22-point hole down to single digits. Zion Williamson hit a fourth-quarter 3-pointer that made it 88-83, the closest the Pelicans got. Jamal Murray answered with a 3 and a driving finger roll to push the lead back to 10, and Christian Braun hit two late 3-pointers to put it away.

That was a different script from Saturday in Denver, when the Nuggets had to come back from 23 points down to beat the Pelicans, the AP noted.

Denver Nuggets vs. New Orleans Pelicans: player stats

Top performers, according to the RealGM box score:

A few numbers that stand out:

• Jokic went 8 of 13 from the field and 5 of 5 at the line, but also had 7 turnovers.
• Jamal Murray made 5 of 11 from 3-point range and his first three shots of the game, all from deep.
• Williamson shot 10 of 14 for his team-high 25.
• The Pelicans made only 7 of 30 3-pointers (23.3%), while Denver hit 12 of 31 and went 18 of 19 at the free-throw line.

Jokic’s 200th triple-double: where does it rank?

With 200 regular-season triple-doubles, Jokic needs 10 more to pass Russell Westbrook, who retired after last season, as the NBA’s all-time leader, according to the AP. At his usual pace, that chase could become one of the storylines of Denver’s season.

Who was missing?

Denver was shorthanded and used just nine players. The Nuggets played without Cam Johnson (ankle) and Alpha Diallo (sprained wrist), and Julian Strawther and Spencer Jones remained out, the AP reported.

What’s next?

• Nuggets: visit the Phoenix Suns on Friday night in an NBA Cup group stage opener.
• Pelicans: host the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night, still looking for their first win.

FAQ