The Nuggets gave the Pelicans a 5-game losing streak with a 99-98 away game.
Jokic returned. He and Pop teamed up to hit 10-0. Gordon alley-oop dunk, and the Nuggets led 13-7. Herbert Jones and McCollum each scored two goals, and Jamal Murray responded with a three-pointer. The Nuggets led 28-24 in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Murray broke out and Jeff Green also hit a three-pointer. The Nuggets led 14-0 to 16 points. Murray scored 14 points in this quarter and the Nuggets led 63-47.
In the third quarter, Kitchen came up and hit a three-pointer, and the Nuggets led by 19 points. Valanciunas played 2+1 and he scored 7 points. At the end of the quarter, Hernangomas took three hits from the basket, and the Pelicans caught up to an 8-point deficit. Braun made a tip-in at the buzzer, and the Nuggets led 83-74 after three quarters.
In the fourth quarter, Alvarado made a breakthrough under the basket, and the Pelicans caught up to the 5-point difference. Gordon and Murray dunked to stop the bleeding, but the Pelicans went 6-0 again! Bruce Brown and Gordon stabilized the situation with two three-pointers. Then the Nuggets didn't score for 5 minutes, and Alvarado led the team to an 8-0 run, catching up to 96-97 in the last minute! Murray made a mistake out of bounds. Hernangomas made a free throw in the last 36 seconds to go ahead by 1 point. Jokic scored steadily with a hook, and the Nuggets led 99-98 in the last 16 seconds. McCollum missed the shot, and Jones' second attack was also blocked. The Pelicans still got the ball. McCollum's final three-point shot missed, and the Pelicans unfortunately lost.
Jokic made 11 of 15 shots and scored 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Murray had 25 points, 7 assists and 3 steals, Brown had 11 points and 2 blocks, Gordon had 11 points,
McCollum had 20 points and 6 turnovers, Valanciunas had 14 points and 9 rebounds, Murphy had 10 points and 6 rebounds, Nance had 10 points and 6 rebounds, Alvarado 17 points, and Hernangomez 12 points.
