WhyTheyWon
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FINALOct 24Ball Arena
New Orleans Pelicans logo
NONew Orleans Pelicans
135
Denver Nuggets logo
DENDenver Nuggets
141Winner
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4OT1Final
NO383535189135
DEN2433323715141

Game analysis: New Orleans Pelicans at Denver Nuggets

How the Nuggets Beat the Pelicans

Denver's late-game execution rescued a game New Orleans had controlled for three quarters. The Nuggets entered the fourth down 19 before erasing the entire deficit and forcing overtime. Jamal Murray scored a team-high 42 points, while Nikola Jokic delivered 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Denver then outscored New Orleans by six in overtime to complete the comeback despite being outshot from the field, outscored by 14 in the paint and beaten by 11 in transition.

The biggest reason

Clutch Execution

Clutch scoringDEN 27vsNO 16

Also mattered

  • 6 fewerTurnovers

Game flow

When the lead changed

NODEN

NO's biggest lead was 23 points · DEN's was 6 points · 2 lead changes

-250+25Q1 11:05 · NO 0–DEN 3Q1 10:31 · NO 2–DEN 3Q1 10:24 · NO 2–DEN 5Q1 9:59 · NO 4–DEN 5Q1 9:45 · NO 4–DEN 8Q1 9:29 · NO 6–DEN 8Q1 9:13 · NO 8–DEN 8Q1 8:13 · NO 10–DEN 8Q1 8:00 · NO 11–DEN 8Q1 8:00 · NO 12–DEN 8Q1 7:42 · NO 12–DEN 10Q1 7:11 · NO 14–DEN 10Q1 6:44 · NO 14–DEN 12Q1 6:21 · NO 17–DEN 12Q1 5:44 · NO 19–DEN 12Q1 5:26 · NO 19–DEN 14Q1 5:06 · NO 21–DEN 14Q1 4:30 · NO 21–DEN 17Q1 4:03 · NO 24–DEN 17Q1 3:50 · NO 24–DEN 19Q1 3:50 · NO 24–DEN 20Q1 3:37 · NO 27–DEN 20Q1 2:47 · NO 27–DEN 22Q1 1:50 · NO 27–DEN 24Q1 1:32 · NO 29–DEN 24Q1 1:32 · NO 30–DEN 24Q1 55.7 · NO 32–DEN 24Q1 28.3 · NO 35–DEN 24Q1 1.3 · NO 38–DEN 24Q2 11:46 · NO 39–DEN 24Q2 11:41 · NO 41–DEN 24Q2 11:15 · NO 41–DEN 26Q2 11:09 · NO 42–DEN 26Q2 10:18 · NO 45–DEN 26Q2 9:36 · NO 47–DEN 26Q2 9:16 · NO 47–DEN 28Q2 8:58 · NO 50–DEN 28Q2 8:03 · NO 50–DEN 29Q2 7:44 · NO 50–DEN 30Q2 7:00 · NO 53–DEN 30Q2 6:23 · NO 53–DEN 31Q2 5:57 · NO 53–DEN 33Q2 5:30 · NO 53–DEN 35Q2 5:14 · NO 55–DEN 35Q2 4:53 · NO 55–DEN 37Q2 4:53 · NO 55–DEN 38Q2 4:39 · NO 58–DEN 38Q2 4:23 · NO 60–DEN 38Q2 4:07 · NO 60–DEN 40Q2 3:44 · NO 60–DEN 43Q2 3:23 · NO 62–DEN 43Q2 3:10 · NO 62–DEN 45Q2 2:52 · NO 65–DEN 45Q2 2:31 · NO 67–DEN 45Q2 2:16 · NO 67–DEN 47Q2 1:35 · NO 67–DEN 50Q2 1:10 · NO 69–DEN 50Q2 59.1 · NO 69–DEN 52Q2 40.0 · NO 69–DEN 54Q2 23.7 · NO 71–DEN 54Q2 4.8 · NO 71–DEN 57Q2 0.8 · NO 73–DEN 57Q3 11:28 · NO 73–DEN 59Q3 11:05 · NO 75–DEN 59Q3 10:47 · NO 75–DEN 61Q3 10:26 · NO 77–DEN 61Q3 10:03 · NO 79–DEN 61Q3 9:53 · NO 79–DEN 62Q3 9:53 · NO 79–DEN 63Q3 9:40 · NO 81–DEN 63Q3 9:26 · NO 81–DEN 66Q3 8:54 · NO 81–DEN 67Q3 8:20 · NO 83–DEN 67Q3 8:06 · NO 85–DEN 67Q3 7:53 · NO 85–DEN 69Q3 7:31 · NO 87–DEN 69Q3 6:53 · NO 89–DEN 69Q3 6:27 · NO 91–DEN 69Q3 6:10 · NO 91–DEN 72Q3 5:49 · NO 93–DEN 72Q3 5:10 · NO 95–DEN 72Q3 4:59 · NO 95–DEN 74Q3 4:31 · NO 95–DEN 75Q3 4:31 · NO 95–DEN 76Q3 4:10 · NO 97–DEN 76Q3 3:55 · NO 97–DEN 79Q3 2:38 · NO 98–DEN 79Q3 2:27 · NO 98–DEN 81Q3 2:13 · NO 99–DEN 81Q3 2:13 · NO 100–DEN 81Q3 2:06 · NO 100–DEN 82Q3 2:06 · NO 100–DEN 83Q3 1:42 · NO 102–DEN 83Q3 1:34 · NO 102–DEN 85Q3 1:22 · NO 102–DEN 86Q3 1:22 · NO 102–DEN 87Q3 51.1 · NO 104–DEN 87Q3 31.0 · NO 106–DEN 87Q3 14.4 · NO 106–DEN 88Q3 14.4 · NO 106–DEN 89Q3 0.4 · NO 108–DEN 89Q4 11:46 · NO 108–DEN 91Q4 11:22 · NO 110–DEN 91Q4 11:04 · NO 110–DEN 94Q4 10:34 · NO 110–DEN 95Q4 10:34 · NO 110–DEN 96Q4 10:10 · NO 111–DEN 96Q4 10:10 · NO 110–DEN 96Q4 10:10 · NO 112–DEN 96Q4 9:22 · NO 112–DEN 98Q4 9:04 · NO 112–DEN 101Q4 8:19 · NO 112–DEN 102Q4 7:44 · NO 114–DEN 102Q4 7:44 · NO 115–DEN 102Q4 7:24 · NO 118–DEN 102Q4 7:03 · NO 118–DEN 105Q4 5:59 · NO 118–DEN 107Q4 5:35 · NO 118–DEN 108Q4 5:35 · NO 118–DEN 109Q4 4:56 · NO 118–DEN 111Q4 4:39 · NO 119–DEN 111Q4 3:23 · NO 119–DEN 113Q4 2:55 · NO 119–DEN 114Q4 2:22 · NO 120–DEN 114Q4 2:22 · NO 121–DEN 114Q4 2:06 · NO 121–DEN 116Q4 2:01 · NO 122–DEN 116Q4 1:37 · NO 123–DEN 116Q4 1:37 · NO 124–DEN 116Q4 1:31 · NO 124–DEN 119Q4 1:19 · NO 126–DEN 119Q4 1:09 · NO 126–DEN 122Q4 48.3 · NO 126–DEN 124Q4 16.8 · NO 126–DEN 125Q4 16.8 · NO 126–DEN 126OT1 4:23 · NO 126–DEN 127OT1 4:23 · NO 126–DEN 128OT1 2:56 · NO 127–DEN 128OT1 2:56 · NO 128–DEN 128OT1 2:36 · NO 128–DEN 130OT1 2:11 · NO 129–DEN 130OT1 1:25 · NO 129–DEN 133OT1 1:09 · NO 129–DEN 134OT1 50.7 · NO 131–DEN 134OT1 50.7 · NO 132–DEN 134OT1 28.8 · NO 132–DEN 136OT1 25.1 · NO 133–DEN 136OT1 25.1 · NO 134–DEN 136OT1 24.3 · NO 134–DEN 137OT1 24.3 · NO 134–DEN 138OT1 15.4 · NO 135–DEN 138OT1 11.6 · NO 135–DEN 139OT1 9.5 · NO 135–DEN 141OT1 0:00 · NO 135–DEN 141Q1Q2Q3Q4OT1

Quarter-by-quarter momentum

Quarter winners and scoring margin
  1. Q1
    New Orleans Pelicans logoNO38
    Denver Nuggets logoDEN24
    NO won by 14
  2. Q2
    New Orleans Pelicans logoNO35
    Denver Nuggets logoDEN33
    NO won by 2
  3. Q3
    New Orleans Pelicans logoNO35
    Denver Nuggets logoDEN32
    NO won by 3
  4. Q4Biggest margin
    New Orleans Pelicans logoNO18
    Denver Nuggets logoDEN37
    DEN won by 19
  5. OT1
    New Orleans Pelicans logoNO9
    Denver Nuggets logoDEN15
    DEN won by 6

Game turning points

Moments identified from the scoring timeline
  1. Largest deficitQ2 · 7:00

    Denver Nuggets trailed by 23 at its deepest point before going on to win.

    New Orleans Pelicans logoNO 53DEN 30Denver Nuggets logo
  2. Final lead changeOT1 · 2:36

    Denver Nuggets went ahead and did not trail again.

    New Orleans Pelicans logoNO 128DEN 130Denver Nuggets logo
  3. Late-game pressureOT1 · 1:09

    The game was within five points late, with Denver Nuggets ahead.

    New Orleans Pelicans logoNO 129DEN 134Denver Nuggets logo

Momentum swings

Key runs

4 runs · 7+ unanswered points
  1. Q1 · 9:29–8:00
    New Orleans Pelicans logoNew Orleans Pelicans8–0run

    NO 4 – DEN 8NO 12 – DEN 8

  2. Q1 · 1:32–1.3Largest run
    New Orleans Pelicans logoNew Orleans Pelicans11–0run

    NO 27 – DEN 24NO 38 – DEN 24

  3. Q4 · 7:03–4:56
    Denver Nuggets logoDenver Nuggets9–0run

    NO 118 – DEN 102NO 118 – DEN 111

  4. Q4 · 1:09–16.8
    Denver Nuggets logoDenver Nuggets7–0run

    NO 126 – DEN 119NO 126 – DEN 126

Players who shaped the game

Player impact

From the box score
New Orleans Pelicans logo

New Orleans Pelicans

NO
  1. Leading scorerTrey Murphy III
    26PTS6REB4AST1STL0BLK
  2. Impact contributorDejounte Murray
    22PTS6REB6AST2STL1BLK
  3. Impact contributorDerik Queen
    17PTS8REB2AST0STL0BLK
Denver Nuggets logo

Denver Nuggets

DEN
  1. Leading scorerJamal Murray
    42PTS3REB6AST1STL1BLK
  2. Impact contributorNikola Jokic
    35PTS15REB10AST2STL3BLK
  3. Impact contributorTrevon Brazile
    17PTS9REB0AST1STL2BLK

Team performance

Biggest advantages and setbacks

What the winner did best—and what it overcame

Advantages

  1. TurnoversWinner edge

    Denver Nuggets committed 6 fewer turnovers than New Orleans Pelicans.

    NO 18DEN 12

Setbacks

  1. Fast-break pointsOpponent edge

    Denver Nuggets trailed in fast-break points by 11.

    NO 23DEN 12
  2. AssistsOpponent edge

    Denver Nuggets trailed in assists by 7.

    NO 33DEN 26
  3. Points in the paintOpponent edge

    Denver Nuggets trailed in points in the paint by 14.

    NO 70DEN 56

The numbers behind the win

Evidence

4 signals

Clutch scoring

Denver entered the supplied clutch stretch trailing and generated the scoring swing that carried the comeback through overtime.

New Orleans Pelicans logoNO16
Denver Nuggets logoDEN27

Ball security

The Nuggets gave away fewer possessions in a game where New Orleans held substantial advantages in paint and transition scoring.

New Orleans Pelicans logoNO18
Denver Nuggets logoDEN12

Fourth-quarter comeback

DEN +19

Denver erased the entire deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime after trailing entering the period.

Editorial turning point

Denver erased a 19-point deficit in the fourth quarter

The Nuggets turned a 19-point deficit entering the fourth into a tie at the end of regulation, extending a game New Orleans had controlled into overtime.

This game’s Winning DNA

How Denver Nuggets got it done.

The winning formula behind this game.

Denver Nuggets logo

Denver Nuggets

Clutch Execution
40%
Superstar Performance
35%
Turnovers
25%

Editorial weights for this game — not fan-vote percentages or official NBA statistics.

Team Comparison

New Orleans Pelicans logoNew Orleans Pelicans135 PTSVSBall ArenaDenver Nuggets logoDenver Nuggets141 PTS
50-99FG48-99
11-383PT15-47
24-30FT30-39
50REB51
33AST26
9STL9
5BLK6
18TO12

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