Four games into an 82-game season, an 8-minute, 27-second stretch means little.
Then again, what the Nuggets’ bench did in the second quarter of a 122-88 cruiser over the Pelicans on Wednesday night at Ball Arena portends good things. The Nuggets, off to a 3-1 start, play at Portland on Friday night.
After playing the entire first quarter, star center Nikola Jokic was parked for the next 8:27, during which time the Nuggets outscored the Pelicans 17-8, extending their lead to 51-33. Coach David Adelman said he couldn’t remember the last time a healthy Jokic sat for so long a stretch.