November 16th 2024.
The atmosphere at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans was a bit lackluster for the first NBA Cup game between the Nuggets and the Pelicans. The upper deck was sparsely filled, and both teams were dealing with several injuries to key players. For the Pelicans, star player Zion Williamson was out, while the Nuggets were missing their All-Star center Nikola Jokic, who had to stay behind due to personal reasons. Adding to their challenges, the Nuggets were also without Aaron Gordon, who was dealing with a calf strain, and their head coach Michael Malone was absent as well, attending his daughter's high school volleyball game.
Despite the absences, the Nuggets put up a good fight, with Jamal Murray leading the way with 16 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and two steals. However, it wasn't enough to overcome the Pelicans, who snapped their six-game losing streak and handed the Nuggets their first loss in the NBA Cup. Brandon Ingram had a standout performance for the Pelicans with 29 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, leading them to victory.
Jokic's absence was a surprise, as he had been listed as questionable just the day before. According to acting head coach David Adelman, it was for personal reasons, and he didn't offer any further details. The team was unsure when Jokic would return, but they were hoping it would be soon. As for Malone, he chose to stay back in Denver to support his daughter Bridget, who was playing in the state volleyball tournament. Adelman acknowledged that being a coach's son himself, he understood the importance of being there for family events.
Filling in for Malone was no easy task, especially without their star player Jokic. Adelman had to experiment with different lineups, starting with Dario Saric, who hadn't been in the rotation for the past five games. The Nuggets also used Zeke Nnaji as the backup center, but it was clear that they were missing Jokic's presence on the court. When Saric had to leave the game early due to foul trouble, the Pelicans took advantage and went on a run.
Adelman had to get creative with his lineup, even using smaller players like PJ Dozier at the center position. Although it gave them some offensive firepower, it also highlighted one of the areas where they missed Jokic the most – rebounding. The Pelicans dominated the boards, outrebounding the Nuggets 58-45, and grabbing 17 offensive rebounds compared to the Nuggets' 5.
Despite Murray's struggles with his shooting, Adelman was pleased with his performance, especially in handling the Pelicans' defensive strategy of double-teaming him on ball screens. He also praised Murray for his playmaking abilities, which often led to open shots for his teammates. Overall, Adelman felt that the team did their best to adjust without Jokic, but ultimately, the Pelicans' rebounding was the deciding factor in the game.
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