Nuggets (6-5), Pelicans (1-10)
Their projected starting center was ruled out of Tuesday’s game not long before tip-off, due to a stomach illness. Their two-time All-Star power forward only played six minutes before he too was done for the night, the result of a left shoulder injury. Over a span of less than 30 minutes of real time Tuesday, the New Orleans Pelicans’ incredible string of bad luck and misfortune was summed up by the absences of Omer Asik and Anthony Davis. Playing without those two – along with several other key players – the Pelicans were competitive with the Nuggets for about three quarters, but Denver overpowered its hosts in the fourth quarter. New Orleans will try to snap a four-game losing streak on national TV Wednesday, when it visits Oklahoma City (7 p.m., ESPN).
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Denver rookie Emmanuel Mudiay nailed a jumper from the left side, giving the Nuggets a 105-90 lead with three-plus minutes remaining. New Orleans was still within striking distance at the end of three quarters, down 83-75, but Denver continued to be red-hot from the perimeter and ultimately took complete command on the scoreboard behind a barrage of in-the-defender’s-face jumpers.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Ryan Anderson had one of the most creative 24-point games you’ll see, scoring on a variety of spinning, whirling moves to create space for himself. Anderson was at his shot-making best for much of the night, one reason why New Orleans had a puncher’s chance. The forward finished 10/17 on field goals and grabbed six rebounds in his 34 minutes.
PELICANS UNSUNG CONTRIBUTOR
Ish Smith has been one of the biggest bright spots for the Pelicans over a frustrating first three weeks to the season. The backup point guard this time totaled 13 points and eight assists, always keeping his head up and trying to find open teammates. In terms of plus-minus, the New Orleans subs were more effective than the starters Tuesday, partly due to Smith’s distributing skills. He also had five layups, often with crafty releases.
QUOTES TO NOTE
“I didn’t see the injury so I can’t tell you his status. I’m not sure how he injured his shoulder, we’ll have to take a look at the tape and see what happened. We will have to see how he’s feeling and if he can even play tomorrow against Oklahoma City.” – Alvin Gentry on Davis’ injury and potential status for Wednesday vs. the Thunder
“We knew Anthony was fighting through (his shoulder injury) for this game. He didn’t practice yesterday – well, I guess he did a little bit – but it’s not something we think about. We have to go out there with the team we have and fight.” – Jrue Holiday on Davis and playing without him for the final three quarters
“Coach (Gentry) warned us before the game that they have guys that are just going to make shots… I played a lot of years with Jameer (Nelson) and I know he can make tough shots like that. He had it rolling.” – Anderson on Denver shooting extremely well, in particular Nelson late and Danilo Gallinari (season-high 32 points) throughout the game
BY THE NUMBERS
64: Denver second-half points, scoring 32 in both the third and fourth quarters. The Nuggets were a ridiculous 62.5 percent from the field after intermission.
49, 10: New Orleans shooting percentage from the field and total turnovers, both very good numbers. The other end of the floor decided this Western Conference matchup.
43-33: Denver rebounding advantage. There often weren’t many defensive boards available to New Orleans, with the Nuggets shooting so well.