1st Quarter Report
After a tough loss on the road their last time out, the Pelicans look much better today on their home court. They have jumped out to a quick 32-22 lead against the Nuggets.
The Pelicans entered the match with six straight defeats and they’re well on their way to making it seven. Can they turn things around, or will the Nuggets hand them another loss? Only time will tell.
Who’s Playing
Denver Nuggets @ New Orleans Pelicans
Current Records: Denver 7-3, New Orleans 3-9
How To Watch
- When: Friday, November 15, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Smoothie King Center — New Orleans, Louisiana
- TV: Altitude Sports & Entertainmnt
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $10.00
What to Know
The Nuggets have enjoyed a five-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the New Orleans Pelicans at 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday at Smoothie King Center after having had a few days off. Coming in fresh off a victory as the underdog, the Nuggets will stroll into this one as the favorite.
Last Sunday, it was close, but the Nuggets sidestepped the Mavericks for a 122-120 win.
It was another big night for Nikola Jokic, who dropped a triple-double on 37 points, 18 rebounds, and 15 assists. What’s more, he also racked up eight offensive rebounds, the most he’s had since back in January.
The Nuggets were working as a unit and finished the game with 35 assists (they’re ranked first in assists per game overall). That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they’ve now racked up at least 29 assists in eight consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their sixth straight defeat. They lost to the Thunder on the road by a decisive 106-88 margin. New Orleans got off to an early lead (up 12 with 7:31 left in the first quarter), but sadly they weren’t able to maintain that momentum.
Denver’s victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-3. As for New Orleans, their loss dropped their record down to 3-9.
Keep an eye on the arc in Friday’s game: The Nuggets have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 40.1% of their threes per game. It’s a different story for the Pelicans, though, as they’ve only made 34.8% of their threes this season. Given the Nuggets’ sizable advantage in that area, the Pelicans will need to find a way to close that gap.
The Nuggets were able to grind out a solid win over the Pelicans when the teams last played back in January, winning 125-113. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Nuggets since the squad won’t have the home-court advantage this time around. We’ll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Odds
Denver is a 4.5-point favorite against New Orleans, according to the latest NBA odds.
The line on this game has moved quite a bit since it opened, as it started out with the Pelicans as a 2-point favorite.
The over/under is 220.5 points.
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Series History
Denver has won 6 out of their last 10 games against New Orleans.
- Jan 12, 2024 – Denver 125 vs. New Orleans 113
- Nov 17, 2023 – New Orleans 115 vs. Denver 110
- Nov 06, 2023 – Denver 134 vs. New Orleans 116
- Mar 30, 2023 – New Orleans 107 vs. Denver 88
- Jan 31, 2023 – Denver 122 vs. New Orleans 113
- Jan 24, 2023 – Denver 99 vs. New Orleans 98
- Dec 04, 2022 – New Orleans 121 vs. Denver 106
- Mar 06, 2022 – Denver 138 vs. New Orleans 130
- Feb 04, 2022 – New Orleans 113 vs. Denver 105
- Jan 28, 2022 – Denver 116 vs. New Orleans 105
