Denver @ New Orleans preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 2, 2019 ) New Orleans 120, Denver 112

The New Orleans Pelicans are searching for the first win and looking for answers on the defensive end of the floor. The Pelicans will try to slow another contender when they host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.

New Orleans is allowing an NBA-high 128.3 points and surrendered a season-high 134 in an 11-point home loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday. "Rebounding the basketball has been (the biggest issue defensively)," Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram told reporters after the latest setback. "Just getting it off the glass, trying to get into offense fast, trying to not let the other team have second-chance points - that's been hurting us a little bit, but we've just got to stay together. As a new group, we continue to get better and try not to take any steps backwards." The Nuggets won their first three games but suffered their first loss on Tuesday with a 109-106 home setback to Dallas and now start a two-game road trip. "The story tonight was just a lack of defense," Denver coach Michael Malone told reporters. "This is the first time in four games that our defense did not show up. Their bench dominated the game."

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (3-1): Tuesday's loss overshadowed another triple-double from center Nikola Jokic, who collected 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to go with three steals for his second of the season. Shooting guard Will Barton (19 points, 11 rebounds) posted his first double-double of the campaign and Paul Millsap added a season-high 23 points against the Mavericks but Denver struggled on the offensive end late. "We have to be better with our fourth-quarter execution," Malone told reporters. "I give them credit because they defended us well, but we had three opportunities to tie or take the lead."

ABOUT THE PELICANS (0-4): New Orleans built its roster in the offseason around No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson and will be waiting another month or so for him to make his debut while he recovers from a knee injury, leaving the roster struggling to gel without its centerpiece. "First three games, I thought we played well and gave ourselves an opportunity to win," coach Alvin Gentry told reporters after the latest setback. "We talk all along about establishing some kind of home-court advantage, which is very important in making it difficult to come in here and win. If we're going to say we're not going to bow down, then we're going to have to do a lot better than that from the standpoint of the way we compete when teams come in here." The Pelicans were also missing veterans Derrick Favors (knee) and Jrue Holiday (knee) in Monday's loss and expect the two back soon.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pelicans rookie C Jaxson Hayes made his season debut Monday and scored 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting in 24 minutes.

2. Nuggets SF Jerami Grant averaged 10.3 points in the first three games but went scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting on Tuesday.

3. The teams split four meetings last season, including Denver's 105-99 win at New Orleans on Jan. 30.

PREDICTION: Nuggets 126, Pelicans 120