Julius Randle’s Thanksgiving dinner came early this year.
In Denver and New Orleans’ first meeting this season in October, a 116-111 Nuggets win, Randle tallied 24 points, eight rebounds and six assists. In four matchups between the two teams last season, Randle averaged 21 points on 62 percent shooting and eight rebounds. The fifth-year power forward always feasts when his Pelicans match up against the Nuggets, and on Saturday night in New Orleans, Randle again ate well.
Randle tallied with 21 points on 8-13 shooting to go with 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals in 23 minutes off the Pelicans’ bench, as New Orleans outlasted the Nuggets 125-115.
Not to be outdone by his front court partner, Anthony Davis tallied 40 points on 10-20 shooting and converted on 20 of his 21 free-throw attempts in the win. New Orleans shot 34 free throws on the night, hitting 31, while Denver went just 8-13 from the charity stripe. Davis also had eight rebounds and eight assists.
Denver’s offense was clicking on all cylinders in the first quarter. Nikola Jokic scored 18 points on just eight shots over the first nine minutes of action but registered just three baskets the rest of the way. Jokic slipped along the baseline and limped off the floor towards the end of the first quarter but remained in the game. However, he wasn’t the same throughout the rest of the game. Denver trailed 70-67 at halftime, but the Nuggets shot just 38 percent in the second half. Jokic finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Gary Harris had a strong night as he begins to emerge from an early-season shooting slump. Harris shot 6-9 from three on his way to 24 points, his highest scoring outing since the Nuggets’ third game of the season. Juancho Hernangomez chipped in 20 points. Jamal Murray struggled, finishing with 11 points on 4-14 shooting.
Davis finished with four offensive rebounds and the Pelicans registered 23 second-chance points.
For New Orleans, Nikola Mirotic scored 20 points. Jrue Holiday added 19. Denver visits Milwaukee Sunday.
