Nikola Jokic had 27 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds in the Denver Nuggets’ 125-113 victory over New Orleans on Friday night.

Jokic has 12 triple-doubles this season and 117 overall, with 10 against the Pelicans being the highest against a single opponent. He has also scored 25 or more points in 14 consecutive games versus the Saints.

Denver bounced back from a loss to Utah on Wednesday night to end New Orleans’ seven-game road win run. “We played a little bit faster, I think,” Jokic added. “We were the ones that were aggressive. We increased the pace. I believe that was the difference.

The Nuggets’ Michael Porter finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Jamal Murray finished with 20 points and 9 assists.

The Pelicans’ Zion Williamson scored 30 points. Jonas Valanciunas contributed 17 points, while Larry Nance Jr. had 13.

“They got off to an early start in this building,” Pelicans coach Willie Green remarked. “They had a 37-point first quarter to New Orleans’ 25; the rest of the game would be an uphill climb. That is one of their strong suits. They got out to a fast start and then maintained their lead. We need to be better at opening games.”

Nance sank a 3-pointer to put New Orleans within 95-80, but Reggie Jackson converted on a 3-pointer and then a hook jumper in the final seconds of the third quarter, increasing Denver’s advantage to 100-80 heading into the fourth.

Down 22 points early in the fourth, New Orleans rallied to 118-105 on Williamson’s dunk with 2:49 left. Murray responded with a fadeaway jumper off a Jokic feed, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope nailed a 3-pointer to put the game out of reach for the Pelicans.

Jokic provided a highlight-reel assist with a blind, behind-the-back, over-the-head alley-oop ball that Aaron Gordon collected at the rim and dunked for Denver’s final points of the first half. CJ McCollum responded with a 3-pointer at the end of the first half, but New Orleans trailed 66-51 at the break. Malone said he’s seen Jokic make a number of great plays throughout his nine years with the team, but his most recent head-turning pass ranks near the top.

“I didn’t imagine the behind-the-back, over-the-head pass,” Malone told reporters. “When you’re a young kid watching NBA basketball, that’s Magic Johnson, that’s `Pistol’ Pete Maravich, the guys that just had this pizazz to their game. Nikola can defeat you in a variety of ways, and that was undoubtedly one of his greatest passes.”

Jokic explained that he saw Gordon open and tried to send the ball to him as soon as possible. “I just saw him for a blink of an eye, and I just wanted to pass to him as soon as I can,” Jokic told reporters. “Because he is open in that moment, not in any other moments. So, that was the quickest method to get him the ball.”