Jokic and Murray steady Denver as Nuggets hand Pelicans sixth straight loss
Denver’s stars delivered late as New Orleans absorbed its sixth consecutive defeat.
NEW ORLEANS — By Sports Foes Staff
Nikola Jokic came within two assists and two rebounds of a triple-double as the Denver Nuggets defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 116-108 Saturday night in New Orleans. Jokic finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as Denver improved to 8-5.
Jokic finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists while shooting 9-for-14 from the field. Jamal Murray added 23 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, giving Denver two primary playmakers who repeatedly answered New Orleans whenever the Pelicans threatened to close the gap.
Denver led by as many as 15 and won for the fourth time in five games. Christian Braun contributed 17 points, seven rebounds and four steals. The Nuggets also controlled the paint 62-44, a major advantage in a game where New Orleans attempted far more three-pointers.
Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 24 points. Rookie Jaron Pierre Jr. added 13 points after scoring 23 earlier in the day for New Orleans’ G League affiliate, an unusual two-game workload that gave the injury-depleted Pelicans a needed lift. Yves Missi returned from a knee injury and recorded eight rebounds and four blocks in limited minutes.
The result dropped New Orleans to its sixth consecutive loss and completed Denver’s 3-0 run through the regular-season series, unless the NBA Cup schedule creates another meeting. The Pelicans stayed competitive into the fourth quarter, but Denver’s experience and interior scoring kept the game from turning.
Denver hosts Phoenix on Monday. New Orleans remains home to face Golden State. The larger concern for the Pelicans is whether a competitive effort can become a win before the losing streak begins to reshape the season.
Source: NBA official game summary and box score, Nov. 14, 2026: https://www.nba.com/game/den-vs-nop-0022600231
This report was prepared with AI assistance.
