Nikola Jokic recorded his 200th career regular-season triple-double with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists as the Denver Nuggets defeated the winless New Orleans Pelicans 104-91 on Wednesday night at Smoothie King Center.
Denver never trailed, opening the game with a dominant first quarter and completing a two-game, home-and-home sweep of New Orleans. The Nuggets improved to 2-2, while the Pelicans dropped to 0-4 under first-year coach Jamahl Mosley.
Jamal Murray led Denver with 23 points, shooting 9-for-19 from the field and 5-for-11 from three-point range. Aaron Gordon added 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Christian Braun also scored 15. Trevon Brazile finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.
Murray made his first three shots, all from beyond the arc, as Denver shot 62% in the opening quarter and built a 37-18 lead. Marvin Bagley III extended the advantage to 44-22 with a runner early in the second quarter, giving the Nuggets their largest lead of the night.
New Orleans responded and gradually reduced the deficit. Zion Williamson scored 25 points on 10-for-14 shooting, and his fourth-quarter three-pointer brought the Pelicans within 88-83. Murray answered with a three-pointer and a driving finger roll to restore a double-digit Denver lead.
Jokic reached the triple-double milestone despite committing seven turnovers. He shot 8-for-13 from the field and made all five free throws. He now needs 10 more regular-season triple-doubles to pass Russell Westbrook, who retired after last season, for the NBA career record.
Derik Queen recorded 11 points and 12 rebounds for New Orleans, while Jeremiah Fears added 11 points. The Pelicans shot just 7-for-30 from three-point range, a 23.3% mark, and committed 14 turnovers.
Denver entered the game dealing with several injuries and used nine players. Cam Johnson was sidelined by an ankle injury, Alpha Diallo was out with a sprained wrist, and Julian Strawther and Spencer Jones remained unavailable.
The Nuggets visit Phoenix on Friday for their NBA Cup group-stage opener. New Orleans will try to earn its first win of the season when it hosts Sacramento on Thursday.
