Nuggets 93, Pelicans 85: Arron Afflalo scored 20 points to lead five players in double figures as visiting Denver held off New Orleans to end its seven-game losing streak.

Jusuf Nurkic collected 15 points and nine rebounds and Kenneth Faried added 14 points for the Nuggets, who improved to 2-0 against the Pelicans this season. Danilo Gallinari scored 11 points, fellow reserve J.J. Hickson added 10 and Ty Lawson offset a 2-for-12 shooting night with 13 assists for Denver.

Tyreke Evans scored 25 points and Anthony Davis added 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Pelicans, who had their season-best four-game winning streak halted. Eric Gordon (4-for-15) and Ryan Anderson (3-for-10) each scored 11 points but struggled with their shots for New Orleans.

Evans scored 11 points during an 18-5 run to start the third quarter as New Orleans surged to a 57-54 lead, but Denver responded before Anderson converted a three-point play that tied it at 70 heading to the fourth. It was a one-point game when Afflalo hit a 3-pointer to set off a 7-0 Nuggets spurt to end the game, as the Pelicans missed their last four shots.

After starting 3-for-9 from the field, the Nuggets connected on 10 of their next 11 shots to open a 28-17 lead through one quarter. The lead was as large as 16 on Gallinari's 3-pointer with 7:39 remaining in the half, but New Orleans closed within eight before Faried's jumper at the buzzer made it 49-39 at the break.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Denver's starters played the entire first quarter with the team's first substitution coming at the 11:03 mark of the second. … Davis headed to the locker room in the third quarter after suffering a groin injury but returned early in the fourth. … Denver committed only eight turnovers resulting in three New Orleans points.