Down 23, Denver Roars Back: Murray’s 42 and Jokić’s Triple-Double Sink Pelicans in OT

DENVER — October 24, 2026 (final, overtime). A 23-point deficit, a hostile home-opening atmosphere and a depleted rotation could not keep Denver down. Jamal Murray scored 42 points, Nikola Jokić delivered his 199th regular-season triple-double, and the Nuggets stormed back to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 141–135 in overtime at Ball Arena.

Watch: Pelicans at Nuggets — official NBA full-game highlights

Official NBA YouTube video, uploaded October 25, 2026. No autoplay. Open on YouTube if the player is unavailable.

The comeback, in numbers

New Orleans led 95–72 with 5:10 remaining in the third quarter and still held a 108–89 advantage entering the fourth. Denver then flipped the game with a 37–18 fourth quarter, tying it at 126, before winning overtime 15–9. The 23-point rally tied the Nuggets’ third-largest comeback and their largest from a deficit at home, according to the league’s official game recap.

The final numbers tell two different stories. New Orleans shot 65.9% in the first half, repeatedly finding easy looks and building a cushion that seemed secure. Denver’s response was not simply a hot shooting spell: defensive stops and fewer empty possessions finally gave its scorers enough opportunities to erase the gap.

Murray’s 42, Jokić’s 35 and a rookie who mattered

Murray finished with 42 points, including eight three-pointers. His late perimeter scoring made New Orleans defend the entire floor. Jokić recorded 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists—his 199th regular-season triple-double—and scored eight points in the extra period.

Yet the closing minutes were not a two-man rescue. Rookie Trevon Brazile contributed 17 points, seven in overtime. His corner three with 1:25 left in the extra period gave Denver a 133–129 advantage. In his home debut, that was a consequential shot under maximum pressure rather than a ceremonial rookie moment.

Why the fourth-quarter shift matters

The most revealing number may be 19: that was Denver’s deficit at the start of the fourth. A comeback of this size demands both sustained scoring and sustained stops. Murray and Jokić supplied the star power, but Denver’s supporting group kept the comeback alive long enough for those stars to close it. That combination offers a more useful early-season indicator than the final score alone.

For the Pelicans, the defeat was particularly costly because the first-half offense had already done the difficult work. Trey Murphy III scored 26 and Dejounte Murray added 22, but New Orleans could not protect its advantage when Denver increased the pressure. The Pelicans fell to 0–3; the Nuggets improved to 1–1.

What happens next?

Denver hosts Golden State on Monday, October 26. The Pelicans get a direct chance to answer when they host the Nuggets on Wednesday, October 28. One comeback does not resolve Denver’s early defensive problems, but it demonstrates how much room the Nuggets have to recover when their top players and bench contribute in the same game.

Sources and verification

Illustrative archival basketball image: Fulvio Ambrosanio / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. This photograph does not depict the October 24 Nuggets–Pelicans game.

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