The Denver Nuggets continued their winning ways on Tuesday night, taking down the New Orleans Pelicans in a 122-116 comeback victory that came down to the final seconds.
Denver outscored New Orleans 33-24 in the fourth quarter to retake the lead late. The Pelicans scored 65 points in the first half as Denver struggled to match up with their size and athleticism in the middle of the floor. The Nuggets toughened up though, making big plays on defense and on the glass in the second half, allowing just 51 points while scoring 62 themselves.
Jamal Murray returned and gave the Nuggets a significant lift, pouring in 35 points and 9 assists on an efficient 11-of-19 from the field, 5-of-8 from three-point range, and 8-of-9 from the free throw line. Murray also added three steals and a block, finding ways to contribute in every aspect of the game. He had missed the two previous games with illness, but it looked like he hadn’t missed a beat with the number of shots and dimes he contributed.
All-Star him pic.twitter.com/KuoXoH4jR9
— Basketball University (@UofBasketball) January 14, 2026
He was joined by Peyton Watson at the top of the box score with Watson piling in 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists on 11-of-16 from the field. Fresh off Player of the Week honors in the Western Conference, Watson helped the Nuggets stay alive in the first half with 15 points in the second quarter alone. The Nuggets were down double-digits at various points throughout the game, but Watson’s steadiness and efficiency as a scorer and creator made a major difference.
It’s impressive to win a game while losing the rebounding battle 51-32. Watson and Aaron Gordon did their best on the boards with 7 apiece, but with Spencer Jones fouling out and Zeke Nnaji grabbing just 3 rebounds in his 22 minutes, the Nuggets were often stuck with smaller guards battling wings and bigs for rebounding position.
Denver’s compete levels are very high though, and the forced turnovers every now and then definitely helped. The Pelicans committed 15 turnovers compared to the Nuggets’ 7 themselves. That’s how the Nuggets were able to stay attached: winning the possession game as best they could.
Peyton Watson 31-7-5-2-1 (11/16 FG), +15 pic.twitter.com/4BczdPuI0G
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) January 14, 2026
It also helps to have three-point shooting, especially in the fourth quarter. Murray hit the aforementioned five three-pointers, but Jalen Pickett also hit 4-of-6 himself on the way to 16 points as a starter next to Murray. Tim Hardaway Jr. made 3-of-7 off the bench en route to 18 points. He’s in such a groove right now being aggressive as a shooter and finding opportunities to put points on the board. It helped the Nuggets at the beginning of the fourth when both Murray and Watson were off the floor.
Aaron Gordon’s defense on Zion Williamson made a big difference down the stretch, forcing some misses on drives while the physical Williamson drove directly at him on the way to the rim. Trey Murphy got free for 31 points and made some really impressive plays, but the Nuggets limited everyone else to a reasonable degree. The Pelicans attempted just 29 three-pointers as Denver’s smaller but more athletic and high effort defense ran them off the three-point line several times.
Overall, this was another really impressive win by the Nuggets. They finished the night tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the 2-seed in the Western Conference playoff picture after the Spurs lost in Oklahoma City. Denver’s keeping pace in the West, and every win without Nikola Jokic on the floor deserves validation.
Now, the Nuggets have a back-to-back against the Dallas Mavericks tonight. They’re in a very interesting situation. Christian Braun didn’t travel with the team, and Murray has been out with sickness before Tuesday. Aaron Gordon is unlikely to play a back-to-back in the return from his own injury.
Can the Nuggets find the energy to compete with a Mavericks team that also thrives at high energy levels? It will be a very interesting battle.