NBA In-Season Tournament group stage: Nuggets at Pelicans (11/17/2023)

DENVER NUGGETS (9-2, 2-0 WEST GROUP B) AT NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (5-6, 1-1 WEST GROUP B)

With the group-stage round-robin format consisting of only four games, every outcome is crucial. That’s true to an even greater extent Friday for New Orleans, which must defeat Denver to have any chance of winning Group B (a Pelicans wild-card spot would still be possible if they finish 2-2, but highly unlikely). Meanwhile, a Denver victory Friday would put the Nuggets in pole position to capture the group, because it would improve the Nuggets to 3-0, with only a Nov. 24 matchup at Houston (1-0) remaining. If the Pelicans win Friday and Nov. 24 at the LA Clippers – thereby going 3-1 – they’d only need the Rockets to lose two of their final three matchups to seize first in Group B. In that scenario, point differential could come into play, either in terms of the No. 1 spot in the group, or as the potential West wild card.

Friday’s other game is fascinating for a variety of reasons, as the LA Clippers (six-game losing streak, 0-5 with James Harden in uniform) host Houston (six-game winning streak). At 0-2 in Group B, the Clippers have already all but played themselves out of any hopes of advancing, but they can be a spoiler Friday against one of Harden’s former teams. The Rockets are 1-0 in the group (three-point home win over New Orleans on Nov. 10) and later have challenging In-Season Tournament matchups vs. Denver (Nov. 24) and at Dallas (Nov. 28). … Like the Clippers, Dallas (1-2) is a long shot to advance out of the group, having gone 1-2. A 21-point defeat to New Orleans made qualifying for the knockout stage an even more unrealistic possibility.

DENVER (9-2)

Tuesday In-Season Tournament win vs. LA Clippers

Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic

Notes: The Nuggets have the best record in the West and are tied with Boston for the NBA’s top mark. Saturday’s visitor to the Smoothie King Center, Minnesota (8-3) is in third place in the West, with Dallas (9-3) in the second spot. … This starting combination for Denver is 3-1. Its only other lineup used in 2023-24 is 6-1 and features Jamal Murray instead of Jackson at point guard. … Murray (hamstring) is out. Reserve forward Vlatko Cancar (knee) is expected to be out for the season.

NEW ORLEANS (5-6)

Tuesday In-Season Tournament win vs. Dallas

Dyson Daniels, Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Jonas Valanciunas

Notes: The Pelicans are No. 10 in the West, but essentially tied for eighth with Golden State (6-7) and Phoenix (also 5-6). A pair of top-six playoff teams from last season are off to rough starts, with the Clippers at 3-7 and Memphis last in the conference at 2-9. … This starting combination for New Orleans is 1-0, already the seventh different first unit used by the Pelicans. … Jose Alvarado (ankle) was upgraded to doubtful on Thursday’s injury report. CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy, Larry Nance Jr. and E.J. Liddell are out.

PACE AND PAINT
New Orleans would be pleased to even approach the damage it did Tuesday in fast-break points (dominated Dallas 46-12) and points in the paint (60-40 edge). Denver is a more formidable foe in both of those areas, ranking second in the NBA in points in the paint scored (58.4 per game) and ninth in fewest transition points allowed (13.5 per game). Tuesday’s outcome helped drop the Mavericks all the way down to second-worst in the league in fast-break defense, ahead of only Portland.
PELICANS FLY (AROUND ON DEFENSE)
Jones was a one-man wrecking crew Tuesday at the defensive end, racking up five steals and two blocks, but the team as a whole also seemed to be everywhere on the Smoothie King Center purple and green hardwood. New Orleans nearly doubled its season high in steals by grabbing 17 (previous best was nine thefts vs. Atlanta on Nov. 4). The Pelicans blocked six Mavericks shots, one shy of their top 2023-24 outing in that category.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
At one of the starting guard spots, Jones and Caldwell-Pope spearhead each team’s perimeter defense, both ranking in the top 10 of the NBA in steals. Jones is averaging 2.0 per game; the only players with a higher early-season average are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Paul George and Jalen Suggs. By the way, Daniels and Denver’s Gordon also rank in the top 50 for steals average.