Denver Picks At Weak Spots, Defeats Pelicans
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Herb Jones finished made 75% of his shots and finished with 21 points but the New Orleans Pelicans still fell short in Denver.
The New Orleans Pelicans had a 12-point lead with just over four minutes remaining in the first half but the Denver Nuggets cut that down to just 3 points when the halftime buzzer sounded. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. made two three-pointers to start the third quarter and the Pelicans played from behind the rest of the way. The 122-113 road defeat is the ninth-straight loss for New Orleans.
The visiting Pelicans got the offense going but just could not stop two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic from getting Denver’s supporting cast involved. Jokic finished with 26 points, 18 rebounds, 15 assists, and the Nuggets had five players score 10+ points. Murray (32 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds) and Porter Jr. (13 points, 5 rebounds) were a combined 15/33 shooting on the night.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (15 points) and Aaron Gordon (15 points) also scored in double-figures. Denver, with the best record in the Western Conference, only gave 8 players significant minutes. New Orleans, missing Zion Williamson, just did not have the firepower to keep up.
Brandon Ingram (16 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds) played over 30 minutes for the first time since coming back from a toe injury. The former All-Star is still knocking off some rust however, finishing with 4 turnovers and making just 5 of his 17 shots.
CJ McCollum (7/19) led the team in shots attempted, doubling up everyone but Ingram and Trey Murphy III. McCollum’s 21 points, 7 assists, and 2 rebounds also came with 3 turnovers and he and Ingram tried to spearhead the offense.
Herb Jones, suffering through a weeks-long shooting slump, found a rhythm in posting 21 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds. Fellow starters Murphy III (14 points), Jonas Valanciunas (10 points), and reserve Larry Nance Jr. (13 points) helped keep things close but Willie Green’s squad could not complete the late comeback push.
It’s been a tough road trip for the Pelicans facing off against European stars. New Orleans will travel to face Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks on Thursday following losses to Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the last week.