Pelicans at Nuggets
After four straight wins to open the season with their superstar doing plenty of heavy lifting, the New Orleans Pelicans tasted defeat for the first time without him. The Pelicans open a five-game road trip with Anthony Davis's status in question when they visit the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
Davis averaged 27.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, a league-leading 3.8 blocks and 2.5 steals during New Orleans' 4-0 start but he was absent for Saturday's 132-111 loss to Utah at home due to an elbow sprain. "There's not any long-term concern," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters of Davis. "He came in today and tried to shoot at shoot-around, and there was a still a little bit of pain. ... I'm not going to risk anything over one game." The Nuggets also opened 4-0 before suffering a 128-111 loss at the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. They made just 6-of-23 3-pointers -- 3-of-17 by the starters -- and entered Sunday's action ranked 29th in the league at 29.2 percent from long range.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS New Orleans, Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (4-1): Nikola Mirotic (25 points, eight rebounds) and Jrue Holiday (18 points) did their best to carry the scoring load without Davis, but the five-time All-Star was severely missed on the other end of the floor. It didn't help when another starter -- guard Elfrid Payton -- left the contest with a sprained ankle that has his status in doubt. Reserve big man Jahlil Okafor made his first real impact of the season with 11 points and six rebounds in just 14 minutes.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (4-1): Center Nikola Jokic continued his strong start with 24 points and 11 rebounds against the Lakers while guard Jamal Murray chipped in 22 points and a season-high 10 boards, but the team is still waiting for a little more from veteran forward Paul Millsap. "I feel like I'm just rushing everything. Everything's rushed," Millsap -- who is shooting 37.2 percent while making 1-of-8 3-pointers -- told the Denver Post. "That's normally not how I play basketball. I don't rush anything in life. For me to get out there on a basketball court and rush things, it's a little unprecedented." Guard Monte Morris provided a boost in the loss to the Lakers with a career-high 20 points off the bench.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Mirotic is averaging 23.8 points and 9.4 rebounds.
2. Jokic has recorded four straight double-doubles.
3. The Nuggets won both meetings at home last season, including a 146-114 victory in which Murray scored 31 points on 13-of-18 shooting.