A victory, a defeat… The Nuggets continue their little trot that has been going on for ten days. After their defeat two days earlier in Utah, the reigning champions reacted in style against the Pelicans (125-113). Limited to creation during its last release, Nikola Jokic was able to express himself as he wished last night.
The Nuggets pivot put his team on the right track from the first quarter, a period ending with a big run from the locals who took a 12-point lead (37-25). This initial gap will not really be called into question by the visitors, lacking offensive inspiration like Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum (21 points between them, 8/21 on shots), very far from their standards.
The Nuggets find their basketball
The Pelicans are also struggling defensively, to limit the fine mechanics of the Nuggets. If Nikola Jokic offered himself his 12th triple-double of the year, with a final rebound captured two minutes from the end, his playing partners were not idle. The trio Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon responded by displaying great efficiency in the game.
At the break, the Colorado players were still 15 points ahead (66-51). Despite a big scoring sequence from Jonas Valanciunas, who made Nikola Jokic work in defense, this gap worsened. Reggie Jackson's hint of skill at the end allowed Denver to start the last period with 20 points (100-80).
Despite the transparency of Brandon Ingram, NOLA nevertheless managed to get closer to the score in the last quarter. Enough to push Mike Malone to rely on his starters for longer than imagined. But two minutes from the end, Jamal Murray then Kentavious Caldwell-Pope took it upon themselves to extinguish the visitors' slim hopes of a comeback.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Zion Williamson's late wake-up call. His final statistics line poorly reflects the evening spent by the Pelicans bulldozer. He actually had a lot of difficulty expressing himself for three quarters. Sometimes clumsy under the circle, sometimes blocked, the interior had only 12 points on the clock at the start of the final period. It was here that he took advantage of a few “mismatches”, and the presence of DeAndre Jordan opposite, to suddenly free himself. Downside, his 18 points in the fourth quarter did not have much impact on events.
– The eyes in the Joker's back. At the break, the Nuggets playmaker had already reached seven assists, including this marvelous offering, with both hands, turning his back on his target, Aaron Gordon. The Serbian found his racket partner throughout the evening, who enjoyed dunks, in small interior perimeters.
– End of series for the Pelicans. Willie Green's men came to Denver in great form, with six wins in seven games. Above all, they remained on seven victories in a row away from home, including some big teams beaten: after their victory in Minnesota at the very beginning of the year, they had just continued on the floor of the Kings, then the Warriors. Their current “road trip” ends with a double trip to Dallas.
How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
