3 Takeaways From Nuggets' Shorthanded Win Over Pelicans

Heading into a road game against the New Orleans Pelicans while down two starters was never going to be easy for the Denver Nuggets, regardless of who their opponent was, and the 2-12 Pelicans certainly gave the Nuggets a good fight.

Ultimately, the Nuggets walked out of New Orleans with a 125-118 win, despite the Pelicans taking as much as an early 13-point lead. Sure, this was far from the ideal outing for the Nuggets, but they got the win. Here are a few key takeaways from Wednesday night's victory in New Orleans.

1. Even Nikola Jokic can have an "off-night"

Nov 15, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half at Target Center. | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

While Wednesday's game certainly will not bring down Nikola Jokic's historic averages on the season, it was far from his best game. Jokic still finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists, but his constant turnovers certainly overshadowed his performance. Jokic finished the night with nine turnovers, marking only the seventh time in his career that he has reached that number in a single game.

Jokic also got fouled out with just under three minutes remaining while the Nuggets held an 11-point lead. While the Pelicans had a very slim chance of stringing together a comeback at that point, Jokic getting tacked with his sixth foul certainly gave them a sliver of hope.

Luckily, it ultimately did not matter, but this was not the performance the Nuggets necessarily wanted out of their three-time MVP.

2. Peyton Watson has a career-best offensive outing

Peyton Watson vs Pels:

32 PTS (career-high)
12 REB (career-high)
13-19 FG
5-9 3P (career-high)

Led the team in scoring. pic.twitter.com/k8GFpGmjLM
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 20, 2025

Peyton Watson has been filling in for an injured Christian Braun in Denver's starting lineup, mostly because of what he can do on the offensive side of the ball. However, he showcased what he is capable on offense in Wednesday's win.

Watson finished the night with a career-high 32 points on 13-19 shooting from the field and 5-9 from three-point range, while collecting a career-high 12 rebounds as well.

In a game where the Nuggets' offense struggled for the most part, Watson stepped up big time and showed exactly what he is capable of on both ends of the court. Of course, the Nuggets cannot expect Watson to perform like this every game, but if he can step up when others are struggling, that would be a huge boost for Denver's offense.

3. Nuggets have no Aaron Gordon replacement

Nov 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) dribbles the ball in the second quarter against the Miami Heat at Ball Arena. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Nuggets standout forward Aaron Gordon had to miss his second game of the season on Wednesday due to a hamstring injury, and it was clear that they have no answer for when he is not in the lineup.

The Nuggets turned to Zeke Nnaji to start in Gordon's place, and no disrespect to the former first-round pick, but that was an immediate failure. Denver was forced to experiment more with two-big lineups, and it just becomes more apparent how valuable Gordon is to this team.

Luckily, the two games Gordon has had to miss have been against the 2-13 Pacers and 2-13 Pelicans, both games where the Nuggets can afford to be a bit shorthanded, but they would not be able to have him sidelined against a legitimate opponent. Gordon's health immediately becomes a top priority moving forward, which is why keeping him out of Wednesday's game was likely the right move.

The Nuggets now move on to face the Houston Rockets on Friday, where they will certainly need Gordon back in action.

1. Even Nikola Jokic can have an "off-night"

2. Peyton Watson has a career-best offensive outing

3. Nuggets have no Aaron Gordon replacement

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