The Denver Nuggets saw their slim grip on the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs disappear Sunday night with their blowout loss to the New Orleans Pelicans and the Portland Trail Blazers’ easy win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Denver shot just 37.9 percent from the field, scoring only 33 points in the second and third quarters combined, in a 115-90 loss at Pepsi Center.
New Orleans’ stingy defense stymied the Nuggets all night, while Pelicans big man Anthony Davis had 31 points and 15 rebounds in the game. Nikola Jokic, Denver’s double-double machine, scored just 8 points to go with 13 rebounds. Jokic was just 4-of-14 from the floor. Offense was nowhere to be found for the Nuggets; Denver shot just 6-for-25 from 3-point range. Mason Plumlee scored a team-high 16 points in 19 minutes off the bench.
Six Pelicans scored in double-figures, led by Davis’ 31. New Orleans shot 49.5 percent from the field and out-rebounded Denver 61-51. The Pelicans were without their other dominant big man, DeMarcus Cousins, who is day-to-day with an ankle injury.
The loss, coupled with Portland’s win, moves the Nuggets and Trail Blazers into a tie for the No. 8 seed. Portland holds the tiebreaker over Denver in a playoff scenario. The two teams meet in Portland on Tuesday.
