New Orleans Pelicans — Denver Nuggets 108:116: result and stats

The Denver Nuggets arrive in New Orleans looking like the stabilised contender many expected, while the Pelicans are searching for any sign of resistance amid a defensive collapse. Denver is considered more likely to win, with the chances sitting around 83% in their favour, and a combined score in the region of 234 points is expected. The gap between the sides is not just numerical: one team has found its rhythm and its health, the other is losing ground by the game.

Denver’s quiet climb

Denver sits at 6-4 after a 123-118 road win in Memphis, a result built on Jamal Murray’s 30 points and Nikola Jokic’s 27-point, 11-rebound, eight-assist line. Murray scored 17 of his 30 in the fourth quarter, steadying the Nuggets when the Grizzlies threatened. The starting five of Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon and Jokic has been intact for several games now, and the bench has gained depth with Spencer Jones working his way back from a hamstring issue. Tyus Jones and DeMar DeRozan give the second unit veteran control, while Trevon Brazile has provided energy in spot minutes. The concern remains three-point shooting: Denver ranks among the league’s weaker outside-shooting teams, and Julian Strawther’s absence with a knee sprain removes one of the few reliable perimeter options.

New Orleans in freefall

New Orleans is 4-9 and riding a five-game losing streak, the latest a 142-111 humiliation at home against Memphis. The numbers are grim: the Pelicans have conceded 541 points across their last four games and have lost by 31 or more in three straight. Jeremiah Fears has been the individual bright spot, raising his scoring from 11.6 to 20 points per game while shooting 52% from the field, but his growth has come without a corresponding lift in the team’s defensive structure. Zion Williamson has been available for most of the season, appearing in 11 of the Pelicans’ first 12 games, yet his shot attempts have dipped and the offense has not consistently flowed through him. Saddiq Bey has offered scoring support, and Herb Jones remains the defensive anchor, but the collective resistance has been missing.

The health gap tilts the floor

The injury report explains part of the disparity. Denver lists only Strawther as out, with the core rotation intact. New Orleans is without Trey Murphy III (patellar tendinopathy), Yves Missi (knee contusion), Trendon Watford (ankle) and Bryce McGowens (elbow infection). Dejounte Murray is doubtful with an ankle sprain, and Bennedict Mathurin is questionable with a thumb issue. The backcourt burden therefore falls heavily on Fears, who is still learning to balance scoring with playmaking. Without Murray, the Pelicans lose their most experienced organiser; without Murphy, they lose their most reliable floor spacer. Against a Denver defense that can funnel drivers toward Jokic and Gordon, those absences are magnified.

Head-to-head and the style clash

Denver swept the 2025-26 series, winning all three meetings: 122-88 in Denver, 125-118 in New Orleans, and 122-116 in New Orleans in January, when Peyton Watson hit the tiebreaking jumper in the final minute. The common thread was Denver’s half-court execution in the closing minutes, an area where the Pelicans have repeatedly faltered this season. Stylistically, New Orleans wants to play fast and generate extra possessions, but its defensive rebounding has slipped and opponents have punished it on the offensive glass. Denver prefers a more deliberate pace built around Jokic’s passing from the elbow and Murray’s pick-and-roll scoring. If the Pelicans cannot control the defensive boards or force turnovers, the game will settle into the half-court rhythm Denver prefers.

What is at stake

For Denver, this is a chance to build momentum on the road and keep pace in a crowded Western Conference, with the starting lineup finally healthy and the rotation settling. For New Orleans, the priority is simple: stop the bleeding. A competitive performance against one of the conference’s better teams would not erase the defensive concerns, but it would offer a measure of stability for a group that has lost by 31 or more three times in four games. The Nuggets are more likely to win, and a high-scoring game is expected, but the Pelicans’ home crowd and the pride of a team backed into a corner could produce a more resistant effort than recent results suggest.

Preview prepared from the match data · 14 November