The Nuggets took care of business Wednesday against the winless Pelicans with a 122-88 blowout win.

Nikola Jokic recorded his fourth triple-double in four games. This one came before the end of the 3rd quarter. Jamal Murray and Christian Braun each added 17 points as the Nuggets moved to 3-1 on the season.

Here’s what else stood out from the game.

Second unit shines in 1st half

A quality Nuggets bench has been a key storyline so far this season and that continued in the 1st half tonight. Jonas Valanciunas took advantage of a soft Pelicans zone defense in the paint and Peyton Watson had one of the sequences of the season so far when he recorded two blocks on one possession.

Tim Hardaway, Bruce Brown and Julian Strawther, who was in the rotation for the first time this season, all his 3-pointers in the 1st half.

Starters give up a big lead

This game didn’t quite have the same energy as the Nuggets’ first three. It probably had to do with the Nuggets playing the 0-4 Pelicans.

But it was disappointing to see the Nuggets — especially the starters — let their foot off the gas in the second quarter. The bench handed Nikola Jokic and Co. and 18-point lead with 3:33 left before halftime. When the second-quarter buzzer sounded it was 53-47. Denver pretty much just stopped playing.

Nikola Jokic takes control

Denver led by six points at halftime, but that didn’t last long.

The Nuggets and Jokic went on a 19-2 run to open the 3rd quarter. Then expanded it to a 29-2 run. It was a clinic. Cam Johnson hit two 3-pointers in that stretch. Jamal Murray also hit two triples. But of course it was Jokic who was at the middle of it all.

He clinched his 4th triple-double in four games to open the season late in the 3rd quarter. He and the starters then rested the fourth with the game out of reach.