Interactive: Nuggets 141, Pelicans 135 — how Denver came back from 23 down, step by step

Down 23 in the third quarter, the Nuggets won the fourth 37-18 and overtime 15-9. Jamal Murray's 42, the bench run and the Pelicans' late turnovers, in six interactive steps.

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. 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 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. 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 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 teams meet again on Wednesday, October 28, in New Orleans; Denver first hosts the Golden State Warriors on Monday night.

Ball Arena, Denver, Nov. 10, 2024. U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. Nataja Ford. Resized.

WhyNBA Interactive

Down 23, up 6: how Denver stole its home opener

The Pelicans led for almost 44 of 53 minutes at Ball Arena. Then the Nuggets won the fourth quarter 37-18 and overtime 15-9. Scroll through the comeback, step by step.

The Ball Arena court in Denver during a Nuggets game night

Ball Arena, Denver, Nov. 10, 2024. U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. Nataja Ford. Resized.

Step 1

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.

Denver went to halftime down 73-57. Across the whole night, the Nuggets spent only 5 minutes and 55 seconds in front.

New Orleans lead, quarter by quarter

After 1st (38-24)+14

Halftime (73-57)+16

After 3rd (108-89)+19

Biggest lead+23

43:56New Orleans time in the lead

5:55Denver time in the lead

14longest Pelicans scoring run, in points

Step 2

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.

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.

Fourth quarter and overtime

Denver, 4th37

New Orleans, 4th18

Denver, OT15

New Orleans, OT9

“This core has seen everything.”

— Nuggets coach David Adelman

Step 3

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.

His free throws with 16.8 seconds left tied the game at 126 and gave him 40 points in regulation. He finished with 42.

42points

8threes, on 16 attempts

10free throws, on 13 attempts

0turnovers

Murray’s line

Points42

Field goals12-25

Threes8-16

Assists6

Dejounte Murray in February 2022. File photo: Erik Drost / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0. Resized.

Step 4

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.

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.

Fourth quarter plus overtime

Denver52

New Orleans27

18Pelicans turnovers

11Nuggets turnovers

11Pelicans threes, on 38 attempts

Nikola Jokić in March 2021. File photo: Jose Garcia / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized.

Step 5

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.

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.

35Jokić points

15rebounds

10assists

6Denver’s biggest lead, at the final horn

Denver’s top scorers

Jamal Murray42

Nikola Jokić35

Trevon Brazile17

Christian Braun15

DeMar DeRozan12

Step 6

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.

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.

Oct. 24Nuggets 141, Pelicans 135 (OT) at Ball Arena
Oct. 26Warriors at Nuggets, 10 p.m. ET
Oct. 28Nuggets at Pelicans, 8 p.m. ET

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 Pelicans will spend three days thinking about a 1:37 stretch in Denver before they see the Nuggets again in New Orleans.