Pelicans Vault Into 7th Place With Mile-High Victory Over Denver

The New Orleans Pelicans recorded another crucial victory by defeating the Denver Nuggets 107-88 to vault into the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference.

Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with his second triple-double in a week by scoring 31 points, eleven rebounds, and ten assists.

New Orleans got off to a hot start Thursday night, quickly leading 13-3. Denver scored their first basket under the 8-minute mark of the 1st quarter. The Pelicans then went cold from the field, scoring eight points in the last 8 minutes, including zero points in the previous four minutes. New Orleans maintained their lead because the Nuggets were just as cold shooting.

Denver went 0-9 from the 3-point line in the quarter. Jonas Valanciunas almost had a double-double in the first quarter alone, scoring 9 points and eight rebounds. New Orleans led 21-17 after the first 12 minutes.

The second quarter saw history made for Trey Murphy III. With his first three-point make of the night, Murphy set the franchise record with the most three-point shots in a month (58). He passed Baron Davis, who previously held the team record. Brandon Ingram finished the quarter on a 6-0 run for New Orleans to give them a 50-40 halftime advantage.

New Orleans began to create some separation in the third quarter. CJ McCollum made four 3-point shots in the frame, and the Pelicans' lead went to 19 at one point. Denver would begin to battle back, ending the quarter on an 11-3 run to cut their deficit to 12 points. McCollum made as many three-pointers (4) in the quarter as the Nuggets made up to that point.

Denver would not go quietly in the night as their bench spurned an early fourth-quarter run. The Nuggets cut the lead down to single digits for the first time since the second quarter. Unlike Tuesday night's game against the Warriors, New Orleans kept its poise by answering any run the Nuggets manifested. Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum capped off the win for the Pelicans, who went 3-1 on the four-game road trip.

CJ McCollum finished with 23 points, and Jonas Valanciunas recorded another double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 21 points. Denver played without 2-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who missed his tenth game of the season.

New Orleans went a +27 from beyond the arc and held Denver to their lowest point output of the season. The Pelicans will return home for a crucial four-game homestand, all against teams currently in the playoff picture.

Again, the victory moves the Pelicans' record to 39-38, and they are 7th in the Western Conference standings. Should New Orleans remain at No. 7, they would host the first Play-in game in the playoffs.

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