Nuggets come back from 23 down to beat the Pelicans 141-135 in overtime

Jamal Murray went to the line with 16.8 seconds left and the Denver Nuggets down 126-124. He had been fouled on a three. He made the first, missed the second and made the third. It was tied, and Denver went on to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 141-135 in overtime on Saturday at Ball Arena.

The Nuggets were down 53-30 in the second quarter and 108-89 after three. They won the fourth quarter 37-18 and the overtime 15-9. Murray scored 42 points with eight threes. Nikola Jokić had 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.

It was Denver's home opener, in front of 19,905, and its first win. The Nuggets are 1-1. New Orleans is 0-3.

New Orleans starts fast

The Pelicans scored 38 points in the first quarter. A 14-0 run that crossed into the second turned a 27-24 game into 41-24. Saddiq Bey had a three-point play and a 27-foot turnaround, Jordan Poole hit a three from 24 feet with 1.3 seconds left in the quarter, and Zion Williamson finished an alley-oop.

Bennedict Mathurin hit a 25-foot three to make it 53-30 with 7:00 left in the half. New Orleans led 73-57 at halftime.

The third quarter did not help Denver. The Pelicans scored 22 points in its first 6:50 and led 95-72, 23 points again. Dejounte Murray scored eight in the quarter, and Derik Queen scored on a driving layup with 0.4 seconds left: 108-89.

The fourth quarter

DeMar DeRozan opened it with a 13-footer and then set up Trevon Brazile for two threes in two minutes. It was 112-101 with 9:04 left.

New Orleans pushed it back out. Williamson scored and was fouled, and Trey Murphy III hit a 27-foot running three at 7:24. It was 118-102.

Then the Pelicans did not score for 2:45. Murray hit a 26-foot three, Christian Braun hit an 18-foot pull-up, DeRozan made two free throws and Brazile dunked. The run was 9-0, and it was 118-111 at 4:56.

New Orleans still led by eight, 124-116, after two Bey free throws with 1:37 left.

The last 1:37

Jokić hit a 26-foot three from Murray. Williamson answered with a 16-foot pull-up at 1:19: 126-119.

Murray hit a 26-foot step-back three at 1:09. Williamson threw the ball out of bounds. Aaron Gordon dunked an alley-oop from Jokić at 48.3: 126-124.

On the next trip, Williamson's pass was stolen by Brazile. Murray came down, took a three and was fouled by Dejounte Murray. His two free throws tied it. After a Pelicans timeout, Murphy lost the ball out of bounds with 1.0 second left.

New Orleans turned it over seven times in the fourth quarter. Williamson had all three of his turnovers in the last 2:45 of it.

Overtime

Jokić grabbed Murray's missed three on the first Denver trip and was fouled by Williamson. His two free throws made it 128-126 with 4:23 left. It was Denver's first lead since the opening minutes of the game.

Murphy tied it at 128 with two free throws. Jokić scored on a turnaround from six feet, and Brazile hit a 23-foot three from Murray with 1:25 left: 133-129.

Queen scored and was fouled with 50.7 left to make it 134-132. Murray missed a three, but Jokić got the rebound and scored at 28.8. Jokić made two more free throws, and Brazile closed it. He missed his second free throw with 11.6 left, grabbed his own rebound and scored: 141-135.

Jokić scored eight in overtime and Brazile seven. Brazile finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 28 minutes off the bench, 15 of them after the third quarter.

The night in numbers

Murray made 12 of 25 shots, 8 of 16 threes and 10 of 13 free throws in 43 minutes. Jokić made 12 of 23 shots and all eight of his free throws, two nights after he went 5 of 19 in Denver's opening loss at Oklahoma City. Braun had 15 points and eight rebounds, and DeRozan scored 12 off the bench.

Murphy led New Orleans with 26 points. Dejounte Murray had 22 points and six assists, Williamson and Queen 17 each, and Bey 14. The Pelicans scored 70 points in the paint to Denver's 56, and turned it over 18 times to Denver's 11.

New Orleans has lost all three games by six points or fewer: 123-120 to Indiana, 120-119 at Utah on Friday, and this one.

Scoring

Denver: Jamal Murray 42, Nikola Jokić 35, Trevon Brazile 17, Christian Braun 15, DeMar DeRozan 12, Aaron Gordon 7, Marvin Bagley III 5, Cam Whitmore 4, Bryce Hopkins 2, Tyus Jones 2.

New Orleans: Trey Murphy III 26, Dejounte Murray 22, Zion Williamson 17, Derik Queen 17, Saddiq Bey 14, Jeremiah Fears 10, DeAndre Jordan 9, Bennedict Mathurin 9, Jordan Poole 6, Karlo Matkovic 3, Herbert Jones 2.

By quarter: Denver 24, 33, 32, 37, 15. New Orleans 38, 35, 35, 18, 9.

What is next

Denver hosts the Golden State Warriors on Monday, October 26, at 10 p.m. ET. The teams meet again on Wednesday, October 28, at 8 p.m. ET, when the Nuggets visit New Orleans for the Pelicans' next game.

Denver's opener: the Thunder beat the Nuggets 96-84. New Orleans' opener: the Pacers held off the Pelicans 123-120.

The rest of Saturday: Booker scored 43 and the 76ers and Rockets went to 3-0.