Nuggets continue playoff chase with win
DENVER -- Jamal Murray scored 22 of his career-high 30 points in the second half, Nikola Jokic had 23 points and 12 rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets kept their playoff hopes alive with a 122-106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.
Anthony Davis had 25 points and Jordan Crawford 20 for New Orleans, which played without DeMarcus Cousins.
It was Denver's second win in four days over New Orleans (33-46) and avenged a 25-point home loss to the Pelicans on March 26.
Gary Harris had 20 points and a career-high nine assists for the Nuggets (38-41), who moved within one game of Portland for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Both teams have three games left. The Trail Blazers, who are at home for the rest of the season, hold the tiebreaker against the Nuggets.
Denver likely need to win out, starting with Sunday's final home game against Oklahoma City. They finish the season on the road at Dallas on Tuesday and the Thunder on Wednesday.
Cousins rested his sore right Achilles and Davis played 25 minutes, 11 less than his season average. He came out with 4:28 left in the third quarter and sat the rest of the game.
Coach Alvin Gentry said he would probably not play Davis in Golden State on Saturday and was looking to be conservative with his playing time on Friday.
After blowing an 11-point lead in the first half, the Nuggets outscored the Pelicans 41-24 in the third quarter and led by as many as 20 in the quarter.
New Orleans tried to chip away at the lead, but Murray put it away with a driving dunk and a putback slam early in the fourth quarter to give Denver a 101-81 lead.
NOTES: Pelicans G E'Twaun Moore sprained an ankle in the third quarter and did not return. ... Friday was the fifth straight game that Nuggets G Will Barton missed with left foot soreness. G Jameer Nelson missed his third game in the last four with a right calf strain. ... New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said he wouldn't play DeMarcus Cousins in future games if his right Achilles is still bothering him. "It's not worth taking the risk," he said.