Oct 29, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) shoots the ball under pressure from New Orleans Pelicans center DeAndre Jordan (9) in the first quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Diving Deeper Into Nuggets' Blowout Win Over Pelicans

Originally posted on Denver Nuggets on SI
By Lincoln Hale | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The hapless New Orleans Pelicans flew into Ball Arena Tuesday night hoping to steal their first win in the Mile High City and rediscover their footing, but instead got their wings clipped.

The Denver Nuggets didn’t just beat New Orleans 122–88; they gave everyone a wide-open look at who they still are and what they’re capable of. The Pels played a bit like my middle school concert band, while the Nuggets, on the other hand, played at Ball Arena like the London Symphony Orchestra plays at Barbican Hall — clear and defined, with fluid transitions and thunderous finales.

However, for a brief moment — maybe about 96 seconds total — New Orleans also looked competitive: a 12–0 run and a six-point game at halftime. For a minute there, NOLA was actually scrapping, but unfortunately for fans in the Big Easy, the Pelicans looked erratic, producing a spasmodic 37.6% shooting effort while being down by as much as 41 points in the final frame.

Zion Williamson was just plain ineffectual on the evening. In 26 minutes, he scored only 11 points, no rebounds, only two assists, and a steal and a block apiece. That’s simply not sustainable. The new-look, beloved former Nugget, DeAndre Jordan, only had two points and five rebounds in 12 minutes. The best player for New Orleans on Tuesday was rookie Jeremiah Fears, with 21 points and six assists.

The game-deciding third quarter

And the third quarter? Cover your eyes, because it should have been censored. There was far too much gore. It was like a threshing floor out there — the boys were separated from the men.

Denver went on a 29–2 run. You read that correctly: 29–2. The Mile High Marauders were up by as much as 36 points in the third. That’s not a sifting. It’s not even a raking. The third quarter was a ransacking — a total dismantling. By the time the quarter had ended, Denver had outscored New Orleans 39–11. The game was over. The fans knew it. The Pelicans lived it. Nobody could look away. This was where the gold was separated from the feathers.

The Nuggets pulled off a 29-2 3Q run in their win tonight pic.twitter.com/TBZiBhnvmL
— NBA (@NBA) October 30, 2025

It started, of course, with Nikola Jokic doing Nikola Jokic things. His stat line? 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. This marked the three-time MVP’s fourth straight triple-double to open the season, tying Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook for the longest such streak in Association history. And the Joker will have a chance to stand alone if he logs another against Portland. Jokic accomplished this feat in just 28 minutes of play. And he could’ve done it wearing horseshoes.

The Pelicans are now 0–4, searching for identity. The Nuggets, on the other hand, know theirs.