“A frustrating game in a frustrating season.” The local commentators of this Pelicans-Nuggets well summed up the new disillusionment experienced by Willie Green's men, who fought with their weapons but ended up falling against a Denver team which did the bare minimum to win .
For almost three quarters, it was in fact the Pelicans who broke the screen, including an encouraging first quarter where they were in the lead, until Jordan Hawkins' dunk and the alley-oop between Dejounte Murray and Brandon Boston Jr. (29-26). The locals subsequently confirmed, with aggression on both sides of the field, fast play and skill like the 3-pointers of Jordan Hawkins, Trey Murphy III and the 3/3 of CJ McCollum to bring the mark to 65-51. Unfortunately, their effort was spoiled by the last 90 seconds before the break, when the Nuggets finished with an 8-2 with Nikola Jokic finally involved (67-59).
New Orleans resumed with the same desire, as when Yves Missi countered Nikola Jokic to allow Trey Murphy III to go for another alley-oop. Jordan Hawkins also put on a show by scoring on Jamal Murray's head at mid-distance to complete a 17-4 (88-72) or by widening the gap with a new 3-point basket (91-74 ).
But once again, the Pelicans ended their period badly, this time letting the Westbrook-Jokic tandem bring the gap back to -12 with 12 minutes remaining in addition to losing Trey Murphy III (93-81). In the last quarter, New Orleans gave in a little to the rush, where Denver acted with mastery. Little by little, the Pelicans lost their shine and their skill, contrasting with the efficiency of Nikola Jokic moving up a gear. Jamal Murray scored twice, Peyton Watson and Christian Braun made their contribution before leaving it to the “Joker” to take the match into his own hands after equalizing at 107-107 on a 2+1 to 5 minutes left.
The Serb made Yves Missi go crazy between his left hand finish and his caviars for Julian Strawther or Russell Westbrook, but the Cameroonian pivot resisted well with a tap and two throws until CJ McCollum's 3-pointer which put New Orleans in position to win (119-117). The leader then countered Nikola Jokic but the ball returned to the hands of Jamal Murray who released a perfect shot from mid-distance on one leg to equalize and send the two teams into overtime after an airball from CJ McCollum (119-119 ).
The Pelicans' chance had just passed, and the Nuggets did not let theirs pass, relying on Nikola Jokic to score the first three baskets before finding Aaron Gordon baseline from the high post for his lobbed pass now classic until the basket snatched by Jamal Murray to increase his team to +4 (125-129). Willie Green's men did not recover, losing 132-129 for their 25th loss of the season in 30 matches.
WHAT TO REMEMBER
– Nikola Jokic loves the Pelicans. The Nuggets pivot achieved his sixth triple-double in a row against New Orleans! The Louisiana franchise seems to inspire him, even if he initially made a rather discreet first half before gaining momentum to produce a big last quarter and five minutes of overtime close to perfection. The numbers don't lie at the end of the day with his 27 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists making him the undisputed MVP of the match, with a ninth “TD” this season to boot.
– Trey Murphy III returns to the locker room. Among the events of the match which worked against the Pelicans, there were the two ends of the second and third quarters, but also this hard blow which weighed down the last act of the premises. While Denver began its comeback operation, Trey Murphy III collapsed after struggling for a defensive rebound. Embarrassed by his knee after getting up, he finally went to the locker room and did not return after that. We can only hope that New Orleans wanted to take precautions by keeping him warm, even if it meant losing one more match…
– CJ McCollum breaks down at the worst time. Author of the 3-pointer of hope to put his team back in the lead, the leader inherited the last ball at 119-119. The final possession, generally very poorly managed, ended with a contested 3-point shot which ended… in an airball. Then at 127-129 with 24 seconds remaining, it was again he who inherited the shot to keep New Orleans alive, and once again, the former Blazers rearguard did not find the target. It's hard to blame him given his rather decent game so far, even if Jordan Hawkins (25 points) or Dejounte Murray (17 points, 15 assists) must have been brooding…
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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.
