Watch: Jamal Murray scores 42 as the Nuggets erase a 23-point deficit and beat the Pelicans 141-135 in overtime
WhyNBA Sports Desk · Oct 25, 2026
The story
The Denver Nuggets beat the New Orleans Pelicans 141-135 in overtime on Saturday, October 24, at Ball Arena after falling behind by 23 points during the third quarter.
The story
New Orleans scored 38 in the first quarter, led 73-57 at halftime and still held a 108-89 edge going into the fourth.
The story
Denver then won the fourth quarter 37-18 behind Jamal Murray, who finished with 42 points, including 40 in regulation, and eight 3-pointers, and took overtime 15-9 in its home opener. These eight clips trace the swing. Full numbers are in the Game Center.
Trey Murphy III sets the early tone
The Pelicans came out firing and put up 38 points in the opening quarter, the kind of start that usually decides a road game. Trey Murphy III was the trigger from the perimeter all night.
Murray reaches 37 and it is a six-point game
A 19-point deficit at the start of the fourth shrank fast once Murray got hot. This bucket gave him 37 and pulled Denver within six, the first moment the building believed the comeback was real.
Zion Williamson answers at the rim
New Orleans did not fold quietly. Zion Williamson met a Denver drive with a big block in the fourth quarter, one of the few stops the Pelicans got during a 37-18 quarter.
Jamal Murray keeps pulling up
With the clock working against Denver, Murray kept letting it fly from deep. Eight threes in regulation is the sort of volume that turns a blowout into a coin flip.
Aaron Gordon in the right spot
Comebacks need more than a scorer. Aaron Gordon showed up exactly where Denver needed him in the closing minutes of regulation, the dirty-work play that kept the run alive.
Forty points and a tie at 126
Murray went to the line and tied the game at 126 with 16.8 seconds left, reaching 40 points in the process. Neither side scored again in regulation, so a game New Orleans controlled for three quarters went to an extra period.
Nikola Jokic takes over overtime
Once the game reached overtime, Denver went back to its usual engine. Nikola Jokic worked the Pelicans inside, and the Nuggets outscored them 15-9 in the five extra minutes.
Derik Queen's and-one keeps New Orleans close
The rookie center gave the Pelicans one last push with a three-point play in overtime, but it was not enough to slow the Denver surge.
What comes next
The Nuggets host the Golden State Warriors on Monday, October 26 (Game Center). The two teams meet again on Wednesday, October 28, in New Orleans (Game Center).
Photo credit
Trey Alexander, Maj. Gen. Joseph Ricciardi and Brandon Williams at the Nuggets’ Military Appreciation Night, Ball Arena, Nov. 10, 2024. U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. Nataja Ford.
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Read the full article for more context and the latest details.