NEW ORLEANS – Nikola Jokic overcame a slow scoring start for his ninth triple-double of the season, finishing with 27 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the Denver Nuggets’ 132-129 overtime victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night.

Jokic turned the ball on after failing to score in the first 21 minutes. Jamal Murray added 27 points and scored Denver’s final five points in overtime, and Russell Westbrook had 21.

The Pelicans led 107-98 with 7:50 left in regulation, but Jokic scored seven points in a 15-2 Denver run over a 3:41 span to give the Nuggets a 113-109 lead .

CJ McCollum put New Orleans up 119-117 with a 3-pointer with 52 seconds left, and Murray tied it with 8.8 seconds left. McCollum airballed a three-pointer at the buzzer.

Jokic scored the first six points of overtime and assisted on a layup by Aaron Gordon to give Denver a 129-125 lead.

Jordan Hawkins led New Orleans with 25 points. McCollum had 24.

Takeaways

Nuggets: Coach Mike Malone emphasized the intensity of his team, which has played inconsistently over the past two weeks. “We’ve had a Club Med holiday schedule for the last two weeks … and now we’re starting five games in five nights,” Malone said. “We’ll see what our team is capable of.”

Pelicans: New Orleans, losers of 16 of 7 games, had a season-high 37 assists – 15 from Dejounte Murray.

Key moment

Jamal Murray missed a layup but grabbed his own rebound for a 129-125 lead.

Key statistics

Jokic scored his first points on two free throws 2:51 before halftime and finished the half with six points, five rebounds and six assists.

Next

The Nuggets host Phoenix on Monday night. The Pelicans host Houston on Thursday night.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba