The New Orleans Pelicans (14-8, 8-3 Home) host the Denver Nuggets (14-8, 8-6 Away) Sunday in a matchup that pits superb defense against great offense. Denver dropped their last game against the Atlanta Hawks 117-109 at State Farm Arena on Friday.
Nikola Jokic was a top performer in defeat with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. The Nuggets are the second seed in the Western Conference, one game behind the Phoenix Suns. New Orleans won their third in a row in impressive fashion on Friday at AT&T Center, beating the San Antonio Spurs 117-99.
Zion Williamson had 30 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists to lead the team. The Pelicans are trailing the Phoenix Suns by two games in the Western Conference, currently sitting in third.This marks the first meeting of the season between the teams.
Denver won three out of four games between the teams last season, including a 138-130 overtime triumph in their last meeting at Ball Arena on March 6. Jokic led the Nuggets with a triple double, totaling 46 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, and four blocks.
Brandon Ingram had 38 points and nine assists in defeat. The Nuggets have been led this season by Jokic, who is averaging 22.7 points per game, best in the NBA. Jokic also is contributing 9.8 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game, placing him first and first in the NBA, respectively.
Williamson has been the primary provider of the Pels’ offense, averaging 23.5 points per game. He is the top scorer in the league. Jonas Valanciunas is pulling down 9.3 rebounds per game, most in the league, and CJ McCollum is recording 6.0 assists (1st). The Nuggets rank as the NBA’s second-best team in offensive efficiency, while the Pelicans are second in defensive efficiency.
The Nuggets have had the advantage in the last 10 games at Smoothie King Center, winning seven. New Orleans has won three straight at home this season. In the last 10 games, Denver is 6-4 with an average margin of +3.4 (113.7-110.3). New Orleans has gone 8-2 over the last 10, scoring 118.1 points per game on average while allowing 106.8 (+11.3 margin).
NUGGETS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Vlatko Cancar: 16.4 | 8.3 | +8.1
Points per game:
Jamal Murray: 24.5 | 17.9 | +6.6
PELICANS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Trey Murphy III: 26.3 | 18.9 | +7.4
CJ McCollum: 13.0 | 28.9 | -15.9
Points per game:
Trey Murphy III: 21.0 | 13.3 | +7.8
CJ McCollum: 5.0 | 17.9 | -12.9
Rebounds per game:
Zion Williamson: 9.8 | 7.1 | +2.7
Larry Nance Jr.: 3.8 | 5.4 | -1.6
Assists per game:
Brandon Ingram: 6.5 | 4.7 | +1.8
CJ McCollum: 4.0 | 6.0 | -2.0
SportsTips’ NBA Pick:
Over 230.5 (-110)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
