DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic scored eight of his 35 points in overtime and finished with 15 rebounds and 10 assists, and the short-handed Denver Nuggets rallied from down 23 to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 141-135 on Saturday night.
Jokic had his 199th career triple-double in the regular season, second to Russell Westbrook, who retired with 209.
Jamal Murray scored 42 points and rookie Trevon Brazille had seven of his 17 points in overtime in his home debut for Denver, which took an early lead in overtime. His corner 3-pointer with 1:25 left in overtime gave the Nuggets a 133-129 lead.
Denver played without Cam Johnson (ankle) and Alpha Diallo (sprained wrist) and continued to be without Julian Strawther and Spencer Jones.
Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with 26 points, Dejounte Murray had 22 points and Derik Queen and Zion Williamson scored 17 each. The Pelicans have dropped their first three games under first-year coach Jamahl Mosley.
The Pelicans got some welcome news when center Yves Messi’s knee injury suffered Friday night in Utah is a contusion and not something more severe.
New Orleans shot 65.9% in the first half and led by 23. Denver rallied to cut it to 16, and Jokic and Murray combined to score 22 of the Nuggets' 32 points in the third quarter but the Pelicans extended the lead to 19 heading into the fourth.
Denver erased the deficit on 3-pointers from Murray and Jokic, a reverse dunk from Aaron Gordon, and then had a chance to go ahead with 17 seconds left but Murray made two of three free throws to tie it.
Pelicans: Host Denver on Wednesday night.
Nuggets: Host Golden State on Monday night.
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