The Denver Nuggets lost their third game of the 2023-24 season against the New Orleans Pelicans. Nikola Jokic finished the game with a legendary stat line. However, it was not enough to put the hungry Pelicans team away. The Nuggets might have been slighted after the NBA's Last Two Minutes (L2M) Officiating Report validated Jokic's concerns over a crucial late-game call.

The Nuggets should have had an extra possession against New Orleans

The NBA's L2M report from Friday night's game says Herb Jones, not Nikola Jokic, was the last one to touch the ball before it went out of bounds with 14 seconds remaining, per Harrison Wind. The report acknowledges the mistake by the referee closest to the action, but Denver needed to perform better.

The Nuggets shot an abnormally low 25% on three-pointers during the game. In contrast, the Pelicans made 52% of theirs. Denver also gave up more turnovers and personal fouls during the game than New Orleans.

Nikola Jokic did everything he could with his commanding triple-double. The Serbian center notched a whopping 26 points, 18 assists, and 15 rebounds in the loss. Meanwhile, Christian Braun erupted off the bench with 25 points and nine rebounds.

New Orleans' three-way punch of Zion Williamson, Jonas Valanciunas, and Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans to victory. Each player scored at least 20 points a piece.

Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets will not hold on to the officiating mistake for too long. The team understands their need to clean up their mistakes from Friday night's game. Surely, Denver will bounce back and continue its reign atop the Western Conference.