Jamahl Mosley blames 'self-inflicted wounds' as the Pelicans waste a 19-point fourth-quarter lead and fall to 0-3
WhyNBA Sports Desk · Oct 25, 2026
The story
Jamahl Mosley is still waiting on his first win as coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, and after Saturday's 141-135 overtime loss in Denver he put most of the blame on his own team's ball security.
The story
New Orleans led by 19 going into the fourth quarter on October 24, was outscored 37-18 in the period and fell to 0-3, one night after a 120-119 loss to the Utah Jazz.
The story
Mosley pointed to the same handful of habits that have followed the team through all three defeats: protecting the ball, defending without fouling and ending possessions with a rebound.
The story
He called a lot of what went wrong in Denver "self-inflicted wounds," and said the details the Pelicans can control matter more than anything the opponent does.
How a 19-point lead got away
For three quarters the Pelicans played the way Mosley wants. They scored 38, 35 and 35 points, and he noted the team had 22 assists on its 29 first-half baskets.
How a 19-point lead got away
New Orleans was still up 118-102 midway through the fourth, and Saddiq Bey's free throws restored a 124-116 lead with 1:37 to go.
How a 19-point lead got away
Then the offense went quiet.
How a 19-point lead got away
The Pelicans made only five field goals across the fourth quarter and overtime, hit just one three after halftime, and gave the ball away on a run of possessions in the last minute of regulation, which let the Denver Nuggets tie it without needing a stop at the other end.
How a 19-point lead got away
New Orleans finished with 18 turnovers to Denver's 11. Jamal Murray scored 42 and Nikola Jokić had 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists; Mosley tipped his cap to both, but said Denver simply turned up its pressure while his team let it.
The rotation Mosley used
With Yves Missi out because of a bone bruise in his left knee, Mosley started DeAndre Jordan at center against his former team.
The rotation Mosley used
The 38-year-old made all three of his shots for nine points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes, and Mosley praised the example he sets in the locker room.
The rotation Mosley used
Second-year big Derik Queen gave the Pelicans 17 points and eight rebounds off the bench without a turnover, and six players scored in double figures, led by Trey Murphy III with 26 and Dejounte Murray with 22. Zion Williamson scored 17 on 7-of-11 shooting.
The rotation Mosley used
Asked how a winless team resets after a loss like this, Mosley kept it simple. Every team wins and loses games, he said, and the job is to tighten the late-game details because "there's a common theme in these moments."
What comes next
The Pelicans fly home, take Sunday off and open a three-game homestand against the same Nuggets on Wednesday, October 28, at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Sacramento and Atlanta within four nights.
What comes next
Game Center: Nuggets at Pelicans · Pelicans at Nuggets box score
Photo credit
Zion Williamson in 2018. File photo: Keenan Hairston from Raleigh / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0. {"source":"Wikimedia Commons","file":"File:RJ Barrett & Zion Williamson - Keenan Hairston.jpg","page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RJ_Barrett_%26_Zion_Williamson_-_Keenan_Hairston.jpg","license":"CC BY-SA 2.0","license_url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0","author":"Keenan Hairston from Raleigh","retrieved_at":"2026-10-18T14:59:58+00:00"}
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