Jokić says booing fans ‘not welcome’ after Nuggets rally from 23 points down to beat Pelicans

Nikola Jokić scored eight of his 35 points in overtime and finished with 15 rebounds and 10 assists, and the short-handed Denver Nuggets rallied from 23 points down to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 141-135 on Saturday night.

Jokić had his 199th career triple-double in the regular season, second to Russell Westbrook, who retired with 209.

Sections of the Nuggets home crowd booed the team when they went into half-time 73-57 down. After the game, Jokić made his displeasure clear.

“We got booed at our first home game, and I think those fans who booed us, they don’t need to come anymore,” Jokić said. “If you guys follow us, you know that we never quit and we’ve come back from much worse situations. So, if they ask me, they are not welcome anymore.”

Jamal Murray scored 42 points and rookie Trevon Brazille had seven of his 17 points in overtime in his home debut for Denver, which took an early lead in overtime. His corner three-pointer with 1:25 left in overtime gave the Nuggets a 133-129 lead.

Denver played without Cam Johnson (ankle) and Alpha Diallo (sprained wrist) and continued to be without Julian Strawther and Spencer Jones.

Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with 26 points, Dejounte Murray had 22 points and Derik Queen and Zion Williamson scored 17 each. The Pelicans have dropped their first three games under first-year coach Jamahl Mosley.

New Orleans shot 65.9% in the first half and led by 23. Denver rallied to cut it to 16, and Jokić and Murray combined to score 22 of the Nuggets’ 32 points in the third quarter but the Pelicans extended the lead to 19 heading into the fourth.

Denver erased the deficit on three-pointers from Murray and Jokić, a reverse dunk from Aaron Gordon, and then had a chance to go ahead with 17 seconds left but Murray made two of three free throws to tie it.