On Wednesday night, the Denver Nuggets were not even going full throttle. And yet, the powerhouse Nuggets destroyed a rather inept New Orleans Pelicans squad, 122-88, as the Pelicans continue to go through an identity crisis. New Orleans inexplicably decided to start DeAndre Jordan at center in the year 2025 even though they have Yves Missi and Derik Queen available, and Nikola Jokic definitely made them pay for that decision.
Jokic played just 28 minutes in their 34-point beatdown of the Pelicans, and yet there he was, stuffing the stat sheet like he usually does. He finished with another triple-double (21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists), which is his fourth in four games to begin the year. In so doing, he tied the record for most triple-doubles to begin the season (four), joining Oscar Robertson (1961-62 season) and Russell Westbrook (2020-21 campaign) in that exclusive club, according to ESPN.
This is the deepest team the Nuggets have put around Jokic, and it's clearly showing in the way he doesn't have to fill the scoring column anymore like he did in years past. He's averaging just 20 points per game to begin the year, which would be his lowest since the 2019-20 season if it holds. He is letting his teammates cook, which is what he does best anyway.
13 different players scored for the Nuggets in their demolition of the Pelicans, with only Hunter Tyson being the one held scoreless among those who played. The Pelicans looked like a high school team compared to the Nuggets' well-oiled machine, and it's Jokic that keeps on powering their humming engine.
Jokic will look to break the record for most consecutive triple-doubles to start the season when the Nuggets return to action on Friday night in an NBA Cup clash against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Nuggets look to start NBA Cup run strong vs. Trail Blazers
For the past two seasons, the Nuggets have hardly cared about the NBA Cup. Both years, they finished with a record of 2-2 in group stage action, which wasn't enough to get them to the knockout stage.
It's not quite clear if they'll care more about the NBA Cup this year. But they have a deeper team that should make them more dangerous in this tournament. Alas, they are once again a part of one of the toughest groups in the competition.
After the Nuggets start off their 2025 NBA Cup journey against the Blazers, they will have to overcome the Golden State Warriors (the team that defeated them in the first game of the new campaign), the Houston Rockets (NBA Cup semifinalist last year), and the San Antonio Spurs (4-0 on the year amid Victor Wembanyama's emergence).
