The Sports Xchange
Nov 18, 2017
DENVER -- Jamal Murray scored 31 points, Gary Harris returned from missing two games with a sore right shoulder to score a season-high 22, and the Denver Nuggets routed the New Orleans Pelicans 146-114 on Friday night.
Paul Millsap had 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists, Nikola Jokic had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Emmanuel Mudiay scored 19 for Denver (9-6).
The 146 points were a season high for Denver and the most the Pelicans have allowed the season. The Nuggets hit 62.9 percent from the field a game after Toronto shot 59.2 percent against New Orleans.
Forward Anthony Davis scored 17 points for New Orleans before leaving early in the third quarter with a concussion, the team said. He didn't return.
Davis was injured when he was hit in the face by Jokic's head as he was backing down for position with the ball 58 seconds into the third quarter.
Davis was down on the court for a minute before getting up and walking to the locker room.
E'Twaun Moore had 16 points and DeMarcus Cousins 14 for New Orleans (8-8), which has not beaten a team with a winning record.
The Pelicans, who had trimmed a 27-point first-quarter deficit to eight at the half, couldn't overcome the loss of Davis. Murray scored 15 points and made all six of his shots in the third quarter and Millsap had nine of his 20 in the period.
The Nuggets outscored New Orleans 42-24 in the quarter to lead 106-80. Denver scored a season-high 82 points in the second half
The Nuggets made nine straight shots during an 18-0 run that gave them a 35-8 lead. New Orleans missed seven shots in a row during Denver's run.
The Pelicans chipped away at the lead in the second quarter to get back into the game. They outscored Denver 37-27 in the period and trailed 64-56 after Rajon Rondo's layup just before the buzzer.
NOTES: Denver Broncos LB and Super Bowl L MVP Von Miller and teammate Brandon Marshall were in attendance. ... Nuggets F Mason Plumlee played despite dealing with a core muscle injury coach Michael Malone said was suffered sometime this week. Plumlee had an MRI done Friday morning. "All the MRI results came back positive for us," Malone said. "The doc said he's OK to play and it's just going to be a pain tolerance for Mason." ... Pelicans G Tony Allen missed his fourth straight game with left knee inflammation. Coach Alvin Gentry said he will be evaluated over the next few days.