Overview
- Returning from a Grade 1 left hamstring strain after eight missed games, Zion Williamson had 14 points, six rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes.
- Denver won 125-118 to move to 11-3, dropping New Orleans to 2-13 with a seventh straight loss and an 0-3 start under Borrego.
- Nikola Jokic logged a 28-point, 12-assist, 11-rebound triple-double as Peyton Watson posted a career-high 32 points and 12 rebounds.
- Pelicans rookie Derik Queen led his team with a career-high 30 points and nine rebounds while starting opposite Jokic.
- New Orleans led by 13 early before Denver seized control, with Jonas Valanciunas hitting late jumpers for the Nuggets; both teams play road NBA Cup games Friday.