The Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans meet again Wednesday night at Smoothie King Center, just three days after the Nuggets won a 141-135 overtime thriller in Denver. The Nuggets vs Pelicans rematch tips at 8 p.m. ET with both teams still searching for consistency early in the 2026-27 season. Denver enters at 1-2 while New Orleans is 0-3 and riding a three-game losing streak.
Denver has dropped two of its last three, most recently a 134-114 loss to Golden State on Tuesday, a game recapped in Total Apex Sports’ coverage of that defeat. New Orleans has lost three straight since beating Washington, including back-to-back one-possession losses to Indiana and Utah before falling to Denver in overtime.
Nuggets Vs Pelicans Rematch Game Information
- Date: Wednesday, Oct. 28
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Venue: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
- TV/Streaming: NBA League Pass, GCSEN, Pelicans.com
- Series: Nuggets lead 1-0 this season
How Did These Teams Play The Last Time They Met?
Denver’s 141-135 overtime win on Oct. 25 produced the highest-scoring game either team has played this season. Dejounte Murray scored 42 points for New Orleans in that loss, detailed in Total Apex Sports’ recap of the overtime finish. Both offenses struggled to get stops, and the rematch arrives with neither team having found defensive footing since.
What Is The Injury Picture For Both Teams?
New Orleans center Yves Missi is out with a left knee bruise and has a projected return date of Nov. 2. Guard Jordan Poole is listed day-to-day with an illness and has a projected return date of Oct. 28, the date of this game, meaning his availability remains a projection until confirmed.
Denver is dealing with more absences. Forward Spencer Jones is out with a hamstring injury (return date Nov. 2), guard Julian Strawther is out with a left knee sprain (return date Nov. 29) and forward Alpha Diallo is out for personal reasons (return date Oct. 30). Forward Cameron Johnson is day-to-day with a right ankle sprain, also carrying an Oct. 28 projected return date.
Who Are The Expected Starters?
Nikola Jokic is expected to anchor Denver’s lineup after leading the team in points (22.3), rebounds (9.7) and assists (8.7) per game this season. With Strawther and Diallo both out, Denver’s wing rotation is projected to lean further on its remaining depth.
New Orleans is expected to start Zion Williamson, who leads the team at 20.7 points per game, alongside Dejounte Murray, who is averaging 20.3 points, 6.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Derik Queen leads the Pelicans in rebounding at 8.3 per game and is projected to start up front with Missi sidelined.
What Is The Key Matchup To Watch?
Jokic’s all-around numbers against New Orleans’ turnover-prone defense stands out as the matchup that could shape the pace of this one. The Pelicans are forcing 11.7 steals per game, third-highest of the two teams’ combined defensive numbers, but they are also allowing 124.7 points per game, the most either team has given up this season. Denver, by contrast, is averaging 113 points per game but has turned the ball over 14.7 times a night, nearly matching New Orleans’ own turnover rate of 15.7. Whichever team controls the ball better figures to control a game that has produced 276 combined points in its only meeting this season.
What To Watch
Denver sits 2.5 games back in the Northwest Division at 1-2, while New Orleans is winless through three games and 3.5 games back in the Southwest. A Pelicans loss would extend their skid to four games to open the season. For Denver, a win would snap a pattern of alternating results through its first four games and mark back-to-back victories over the same opponent within a week.
New Orleans continues to adjust its frontcourt rotation with Missi out, a situation that followed other recent roster moves by the Pelicans. Denver, meanwhile, has been shuffling its wing depth after recent roster decisions, including the team’s choice to waive guard Lonnie Walker, which further thins the options available with Strawther and Diallo both sidelined.
The two teams do not have a third meeting scheduled in the data provided beyond Wednesday’s game.
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