While Nikola Jokic is in civilian clothes due to calf pain, the Nuggets are overtaken by aggressive Pelicans on all balls (12-3). After this very good start, New Orleans relaxes, and lets Denver return to the retro. Willie Green’s players still retain a 4-point lead at the end of the first quarter (21-17).
Thanks to two successive 3-point baskets from Trey Murphy and Josh Richardson, the Pelicans regain a 10-point lead (34-24). Jamal Murray tries to bring his people back into the game, but he is far too lonely. Opposite, Brandon Ingram is indefensible for the Nuggets defense. The Pelicans lead 50-40 at the break.
Omnipresent Brandon Ingram
On a mid-range shot, Brandon Ingram offers 15 points ahead of New Orleans (59-44). The Nuggets are unable to score from 3-pointers, and struggle to find offensive solutions. It’s CJ McCollum’s turn to catch fire to allow the Pelicans to soar to the score by taking a 19-point lead (78-59). Fighting in front of their audience, the Nuggets still manage to reduce the gap to 12 points at the start of the 4th quarter, thanks in particular to the brilliant strokes of Bruce Brown (82-70).
Author of two big successive dunks, Christian Braun even allows Denver to go back below the 10-point gap (88-79). But now, Brandon Ingram has understood the importance of this match, and restores 14 points ahead of his team (97-83). This will be the blow to the head of the Nuggets, who lost 107-88 against the Pelicans.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Nuggets lack of ideas without Jokic. Without their leader, the Nuggets were harmless, unable to create anything on offense. A flagrant lack of inspiration symbolized by a 28% shooting skill over the first 12 minutes, their worst mark of the season. Only a few sparks from Jamal Murray and Bruce Brown allowed the Nuggets to appear as long as possible in this meeting, without ever being threatening. Result, only 88 points scored … at home.
– New Orleans keeps pace. With the respective victories of the Lakers and the Thunder the day before, the players of Willie Green had to answer today. It’s done, with this serious victory on the floor of the Nuggets which allows the Pelicans to bring their record to 39 wins for 38 defeats, and thus to temporarily take 7th place in the West, pending the clash between Wolves and Lakers tomorrow.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Brandon Ingram. A new boss game that he concludes with his 2nd career triple-double: 31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists.
✅ CJ McCollum. He supported Brandon Ingram well when needed. He finished with 23 points at 8/15 shooting including 6/8 from 3-pointers.
✅ Bruce Brown. This is one of the only Nuggets side that has shown desire. He finished with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists at 7/13 shooting.
⛔️ Michael Porter Jr. We expected him to take responsibility in attack in the absence of Jokic, but his match is catastrophic with 5/15 shooting including a horrible 0/7 from 3-pointers. And in defense, he took a broth against Ingram.
⛔️ The marksmanship of the Nuggets. Overall, they put nothing in with 40% shooting including 14% from 3-pointers.
THE FOLLOWING
Nuggets (51-25): back-to-back at the Suns (4h30).
Pelicans (39-38): reception of the Clippers in the night from Saturday to Sunday (2h30).
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