Interactive: Nuggets 141, Pelicans 135 — how Denver came back from 23 down, step by step
WhyNBA Sports Desk · Oct 25, 2026
The story
The Denver Nuggets trailed the New Orleans Pelicans by 23 points during the third quarter of their home opener on Saturday, October 24, and still won 141-135 in overtime.
The story
New Orleans scored 38 points in the first quarter, led 73-57 at halftime and took a 108-89 lead into the fourth, and Denver spent only 5 minutes and 55 seconds of the night in front.
The story
The turn came in a 37-18 fourth quarter that began with a bench unit and ended with Jamal Murray at the free-throw line, tying the game at 126 with 16.8 seconds left.
The story
Murray finished with 42 points and eight threes, Nikola Jokić added 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, and Denver took overtime 15-9. For the Pelicans, it was a third straight loss to open Jamahl Mosley's first season in charge.
The story
The interactive below walks through the comeback in six steps, from the Pelicans' fast start to the bench run, Murray's 40 regulation points, the late New Orleans turnovers and the overtime. Every number comes from the Pelicans-Nuggets Game Center.
The story
The teams meet again on Wednesday, October 28, in New Orleans; Denver first hosts the Golden State Warriors on Monday night.
Three quarters of New Orleans
New Orleans scored 38 in the first quarter and kept coming: 35 in the second, 35 more in the third. The lead reached 23 during the third quarter, and the Pelicans took a 108-89 edge into the fourth.
Three quarters of New Orleans
Denver went to halftime down 73-57. Across the whole night, the Nuggets spent only 5 minutes and 55 seconds in front.
The bench opens the fourth
The swing did not start with the stars. Aaron Gordon, Marvin Bagley III, Tyus Jones, Trevon Brazile and DeMar DeRozan opened the fourth quarter on a 12-4 run that cut 19 to 11.
The bench opens the fourth
Coach David Adelman leaned on his timeouts to slow the game down. Brazile, in only his second NBA game, finished with 17 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and three threes.
Jamal Murray, 40 in regulation
Then Jamal Murray took over. He made eight threes, went 10 of 13 at the line and did not commit a turnover in almost 43 minutes.
Jamal Murray, 40 in regulation
His free throws with 16.8 seconds left tied the game at 126 and gave him 40 points in regulation. He finished with 42.
Where the Pelicans went cold
New Orleans was still up 118-102 midway through the fourth, and Saddiq Bey’s free throws made it 124-116 with 1:37 left. From there the offense stopped.
Where the Pelicans went cold
The Pelicans made only five field goals across the fourth quarter and overtime and hit just one three after halftime. They finished with 18 turnovers to Denver’s 11.
Jokić closes it in overtime
Overtime belonged to Denver’s usual engine. Nikola Jokić finished with 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, made all eight of his free throws and added three blocks.
Jokić closes it in overtime
The Nuggets outscored New Orleans 15-9 in the extra five minutes. Their biggest lead of the night, six points, came at the very end.
The rematch comes fast
Denver did it short-handed, without Cam Johnson, Alpha Diallo, Julian Strawther and Spencer Jones. Christian Braun played 40 minutes and finished plus-15.
The rematch comes fast
New Orleans fell to 0-3 under Jamahl Mosley, a night after a one-point loss in Utah. The two teams meet again on Wednesday.
The rematch comes fast
1. Oct. 24Nuggets 141, Pelicans 135 (OT) at Ball Arena; 2. Oct. 26Warriors at Nuggets, 10 p.m. ET; 3. Oct. 28Nuggets at Pelicans, 8 p.m. ET
The rematch comes fast
Comebacks from 23 down are rare, and this one needed everything: a bench unit few would have picked, a coach stretching the clock, 40 regulation points from Murray and a Jokić overtime.
The rematch comes fast
The Pelicans will spend three days thinking about a 1:37 stretch in Denver before they see the Nuggets again in New Orleans.
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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