“It truly was a tale of two halves,” remarked head coach Michael Malone following the Denver Nuggets’ 115-110 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. This marked Denver’s first defeat in the NBA’s new In-Season Tournament, leaving them at 2-1 in the Group Stage and tied with the Pelicans in the Group B standings.
Despite being down by as much as 20 points, the Nuggets fought back and closed the gap to just 1 point, but ultimately fell short. With a 9-3 record for the season, they are currently tied for the best record in the Western Conference standings and stand at 2-3 on the road.
The loss was largely due to poor shooting, as the Nuggets only managed to make 10 out of 40 attempted three-pointers while the Pelicans excelled with a 53.3% three-point shooting rate.
Nikola Jokić delivered an outstanding performance for the Nuggets with 26 points, 16 rebounds, and a career-high 18 assists. Christian Braun also shone off the bench, scoring a career-best 25 points and demonstrating remarkable play.
“I thought he was terrific in his 29 minutes of action,” Malone commented on Braun’s performance. “That’s the (Braun) that we need every night. He’s just got to play with reckless abandon, play hard, play tough and be aggressive.”
Denver struggled in the early stages of the game, but Braun’s impact off the bench helped them stay competitive. However, defensive lapses and strong plays from New Orleans’ stars led to a significant deficit at halftime.
The third quarter saw New Orleans extend their lead, but a late surge from the Nuggets made for a thrilling final quarter, although they ultimately fell short of a comeback.
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