Playing at high altitude can be hard for visiting teams, and it’s even tougher when it’s the second game of a back-to-back set.
That’s what the New Orleans Pelicans will face when they visit the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.
It will be the first of two games the teams will play against each other in the next five days, with the next matchup coming Wednesday in New Orleans.
The Pelicans could be without Yves Missi on Saturday after he suffered a left knee injury Friday night at Utah. Missi sustained the injury midway through the second quarter when teammate Zion Williamson landed on the leg following a shot attempt by Williamson.
“We’re going to get a look at it (Saturday) in Denver,” New Orleans coach Jamahl Mosley said of the injury.
The Pelicans are coming off a 120-119 loss vs. the Jazz and have to contend with a Nuggets team that lost its season opener at Oklahoma City on Thursday night. Denver scored just 84 points against the Thunder and already is dealing with an injury to the starting lineup.
Cam Johnson suffered an ankle injury late in the first half and didn’t play in the second on Thursday. He was limping after the game but told The Denver Post he doesn’t think it’s a serious injury and he won’t miss much time — if any.
Without Johnson’s ability to stretch defenses from deep, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were hounded by Oklahoma City, which held the Nuggets to 37.8% shooting from the field.
However, there were bright spots. Aaron Gordon looked strong, rookie Trevon Brazile had 12 rebounds in his NBA debut, and DeMar DeRozan looked comfortable in his first game with Denver.
Even if Johnson has to miss the home opener, the Nuggets hope to have Spencer Jones available fairly soon. Jones, who suffered a hamstring strain during the training camp, already has been ruled out for Saturday’s game.
“It’s not a serious thing, just precautionary,” Denver coach David Adelman said Thursday night, per The Denver Post. But then he said: “It’s one of those injuries that could turn out to be a serious thing.”
The Pelicans still are looking for the first win for Mosley.
New Orleans trailed Utah by 10 at half, outscored the Jazz 38-24 in the third quarter and led by five in the fourth. The Pelicans fell behind by seven and rallied before Dejounte Murray missed a jumper at the buzzer that would have given them the road win.
“It’s hard to win in this league,” Williamson said. “If you want to win, you have to close games.”
It would help if New Orleans could score more from deep. The Pelicans were 10-for-30 from 3-point range in a season-opening loss to Indiana on Wednesday and followed with an 8-for-26 effort Friday night.
Williamson missed his only attempt from deep after going 2-for-4 against the Pacers. He is looking for that shot after attempting only four in 2025-26.
“It was a good feeling,” Williamson said. “It means a lot to see your work pay off.”
