DENVER – A couple of disturbing defensive numbers were at the root of the Denver Nuggets’ 113-108 loss to New Orleans on Friday at Ball Arena.

The Pelicans, coach Michael Malone said, got 18 uncontested shots off in the first half.

“That’s a ridiculous number,” Malone said.

“A lot of the defensive stats and metrics from tonight’s game are just not even close to where they need to be.”

The other number that jumped out to Malone was the Pelicans’ 69% field goal percentage in the second half, including a 73% mark in the fourth quarter.

“Those are embarrassing numbers,” Malone said. “That’s not even remotely close to being a team that is giving forth the necessary effort on defense. When you do that and then you turn it over, you’re not going to win.”

The Nuggets committed seven of their 15 turnovers in the fourth quarter, which led to nine of the Pelicans’ 31 points in the final period. Denver’s 14th turnover of the game came with 3:40 left and the Nuggets down four. Davon Reed tried to get the ball to Will Barton III near midcourt, but Herbert Jones tipped the pass, beat Barton to the ball and finished with a dunk to make it a six-point game.

“That was a big turning point in this game,” Morris said. “We can’t have them, especially with momentum on our side, with the fans on our side. That’s kind of draining.”

Jones made 8 of 10 shots from the field and led the Pelicans with 25 points. The rookie scored 18 of his points against Denver’s struggling fourth-quarter defense.

“Herbert Jones just really dominated us,” Malone said.

Brandon Ingram added 23, while Jaxson Hayes made all nine of his shots for 22 points and 11 rebounds. Jonas Valanciunas finished with 18 points on 8 of 13 shooting.

Nikola Jokic made seven of his 10 shots, including all three of his 3-pointers and a perfect 8-for-8 from the line, to lead the Nuggets with 25 points. He added 12 rebounds and nine assists but committed two of his four turnovers in the fourth quarter.

“The ball was slipping out of our hands even on dribbles, even on just a regular pass,” Jokic said.

“It seemed like we worked so much and we miss, and they were just getting easy, easy points.”

Morris added 19 points, making 5 of 8 from 3-point range, while Barton was the third and final Nugget to score in double figures with 17 points. Morris said the Pelicans were consistent in sending the closest defender to double Jokic, and the Nuggets made New Orleans pay with a 19-for-41 mark from 3-point range.

“They wasn’t mixing it up at times, faking us out, staying home at times and sending a middle guy or tilting to the paint. They wasn’t doing nothing fancy,” Morris said.

“We just had to be locked and ready on the back side. That was our offense down the stretch because Nikola makes the right play 99% of the time.”

Austin Rivers hit a 3 late in the first quarter to give the Nuggets a two-point lead to start the second. Denver led by as many as six in the second before leading 52-51 at halftime. Denver used an 11-22 start from 3-point range to outscore the Pelicans by 18 from deep, but New Orleans owned a 28-12 advantage in points in the paint to start the third quarter.

Denver led by four when Jokic checked out of the game with 2:17 left in the third quarter. The Pelicans tied it at 82 by the start of the fourth and took a four-point lead before Jokic returned. Jokic tied it with 5:40 to play, but New Orleans closed the game with a 16-8 spurt.

“We had some good looks down the stretch that rattled in and out, things like that, but, to me, it shouldn’t have been that close if we was all the way locked in,” Morris said. “I don’t think we were all the way locked in.”

The Nuggets are scheduled to host the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon, the second of three straight home games.