NEW ORLEANS — The Pelicans stayed close enough to recognize an opportunity and finished with another loss to show for it. Denver won 116–108 at Smoothie King Center on November 14, extending New Orleans’ losing streak to six games and dropping the Pelicans to 4–10.

Zion Williamson scored 24 points for New Orleans. Nikola Jokic led Denver with 26 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, while Jamal Murray added 23 points and nine assists.

The fourth-quarter opening changes the game

New Orleans trailed only 86–82 entering the fourth quarter. Denver then scored the period’s first nine points, turning a manageable deficit into a 95–82 gap. The Nuggets eventually pushed their lead to 15.

For a team trying to stop a losing streak, that stretch deserves close attention. The Pelicans had kept the game within reach through three quarters, then immediately surrendered the separation that forced them to spend the rest of the night chasing.

Denver wins the interior battle

The Nuggets outscored New Orleans 62–44 in the paint and won the rebounding battle 47–38. Those advantages helped Denver overcome a poor perimeter shooting night: the visitors made only four of 16 three-point attempts.

That combination points to a practical defensive concern. New Orleans could live with Denver missing outside shots, but it did not sufficiently limit the damage closer to the basket. Paint protection and finishing possessions with rebounds remain essential to turning competitive stretches into wins.

Zion gets help, but efficiency falls short

Saddiq Bey scored 16 points, Jordan Poole added 14, and Jeremiah Fears and Jaron Pierre Jr. each finished with 13. Herb Jones and Derik Queen contributed 10 apiece.

The scoring support kept New Orleans involved, but the Pelicans made just 37 of 89 field-goal attempts. They also missed 12 free throws, finishing 21 of 33 at the line. Those misses added another avoidable cost in an eight-point defeat.

Mosley’s next adjustments must address the shots his team allows near the basket. New Orleans also needs to convert the free points already available at the foul line; those opportunities require no change in scheme.

A closer score still demands correction

An eight-point loss contains stretches New Orleans can build on, including its ability to enter the final period within four. It also contains a specific failure that cannot be ignored.

New Orleans had a game to win at the start of the fourth quarter. Protecting the paint, securing rebounds and making free throws would give the Pelicans a firmer foundation when the next close game arrives.