Nikola Jokic didn’t soften his words after the Nuggets turned a messy home opener into a wild overtime win. He went straight at the fans who booed the team Saturday night at Ball Arena, making it clear he thought that reaction crossed a line.
“I’m actually so glad that you mentioned that because we got booed the first home game, and I think those fans who booed us, they don’t need to come anymore.”
“Because if you guys follow us, you know that we never quit, and we came back from much worse or similar situations. So, if you ask me, they’re not welcome anymore.”
That came after Denver erased a 23-point hole to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 141-135 and move to 1-1. But the comeback didn’t change the mood inside the building early on. The boos started in the second quarter as the Nuggets trailed 45-26, and by halftime they were staring at a 73-57 deficit in front of a frustrated crowd that expected a far better showing in the home opener.
Jokic made it plain he believed the team had earned backing even while it was struggling. When the Nuggets were asked whether fans should keep cheering through rough stretches, he stood by that view.
The finish gave Denver something to build on. With 1:19 left in regulation, the Pelicans still led 126-119, but the Nuggets clawed their way back, forced overtime, and then finished the job.
Jamal Murray was the engine for the rally, pouring in 42 points with six assists and eight three-pointers. He logged 43 minutes and didn’t turn the ball over once, giving Denver exactly the kind of clean, aggressive scoring night it needed.
Jokic wasn’t far behind. He finished with 35 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, three blocks, and two steals, and his production helped carry the Nuggets through a game that demanded much more than they likely wanted this early in the season. Together, he and Murray accounted for 77 points.
The bench offered a boost as well. Trevon Brazile scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Christian Braun added 15 points and eight rebounds.
Still, the comeback couldn’t erase how shaky the first half was. Head coach David Adelman said the opening 24 minutes were disappointing, and Aaron Gordon was blunt too, saying those kinds of starts would be tough to survive against stronger opponents.
That’s the tension running through Jokic’s postgame comments. He was defending teammates who kept fighting, and the final score backed him up. At the same time, the crowd wasn’t booing out of nowhere; it was reacting to a first half the coach himself said didn’t meet the standard.
The Nuggets showed again that they can be dangerous with Jokic and Murray driving the offense. The question now is whether they can bring that urgency from the opening tip instead of waiting until another game turns into a full-scale rescue mission.
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Nuggets Survived A Brutal Start And A Rookie Made Sure Fans Noticed
The Nuggets 2026-27 home opener had all the markings of an early-season gut check, with Denver digging itself into a deep hole against New Orleans before the night turned into a familiar rescue mission from its stars. Jamal Murray poured in 42 points with 6 assists, Nikola Jokic added a triple-double with 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, and the offense did enough to keep the building alive even as the defense and rebounding lagged for much of the game.
Trevon Brazile gave the game another layer of intrigue, because the rookie looked far more settled than the moment would usually allow. He finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds while making his presence felt on both ends, a useful sign for a Nuggets team that needed energy and size as much as shot-making in a messy opener. For Denver, the comeback mattered, but so did the glimpse of a young player who may have earned himself a little more attention the next time the rotation is discussed. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Rotation Battle Already Has One Clear Winner And One Loser
The Nuggets are only two games into the 2026-27 season, but one early rotation storyline already has a very clear shape. Denver sits at 1-1 after a comeback overtime win over the New Orleans Pelicans, and rookie Trevon Brazile has used the opening stretch to carve out real minutes. For a team still sorting through its depth, that kind of immediate trust is notable, especially with a roster that has to balance development, fit and a win-now timeline.
Zeke Nnaji, meanwhile, has been on the other side of that equation. The veteran has not played yet, and his name is already surfacing in trade chatter as Denver looks at ways to rework the back end of the roster. The Nuggets have had discussions with the Bucks about a possible deal, but nothing has moved forward, leaving one of the rosters more established names in an awkward spot as the season gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Jokis Postgame Frustration Put Nuggets Fans On Edge After Comeback Win
The Nuggets gave their home crowd plenty to gripe about early against New Orleans, falling behind by more than 20 points in the first half before clawing all the way back for an overtime win. The comeback softened the immediate damage in the standings, but it did not erase the tension that built in the building when the boos started to rain down during the deficit.
Nikola Joki did not sound eager to let that go afterward, making it clear he noticed the reaction from the stands and was not pleased with it. It was an uncomfortable flashpoint around a team that still expects to contend, and it carried a little extra weight because Joki can become an unrestricted free agent next offseason, even if he has said he intends to re-sign. [Read more 🡒]