DENVER — Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets ran out of time in regulation but delivered Denver an improbable 138-130 overtime win over the Pelicans on Sunday at Ball Arena.

The Nuggets trailed by 11 with 3:15 remaining before Jokic took over, starting with a three-point play and finishing regulation with the tying free throws with 3.2 seconds left. He then stole the in-bounds pass and looked to Jeff Green, whose rushed shot wasn’t close.

“I’m thinking he’s going to shoot the floater, and it’s going to be a walk-off,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “The place would’ve been pandemonium.”

Jokic scored 30 of his 46 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

“The teammates were looking for me. I was making shots,” Jokic said. “I was aggressive, so it was a really good period.”

He finished 16 of 22 from the field, including 3 for 5 from 3 and 11 of 12 on free throws. He added 12 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and four blocks for his 17th triple-double of the season.

“Just another reason, example, exhibition of why Nikola’s the MVP,” Malone said.

After missing Friday’s game with a non-COVID illness, Jokic returned and played more than 42 minutes Sunday with most of his production coming after halftime.

“The first half, I was like ‘oof,’” Jokic said. “I feel like I didn’t play for a long time, not condition(ing) wise.”

Aaron Gordon added 28 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Three of his rebounds came on the offense glass and he also blocked two shots and recorded a steal.

“This game is a good blueprint going forward, just being aggressive, getting downhill, putting pressure on the defense and putting pressure on the referees to make a call,” Gordon said.

Gordon missed all five of his 3-point attempts but made 9 of 12 inside the arc. He scored 10 more points from the line and also earned the chain that’s awarded to the team’s defensive player of the game.

“Aaron was phenomenal tonight,” Malone said. “When he plays in attack mode — he got to the line 15 times — he’s unguardable.”

Monte Morris (18), Bones Hyland (11) and JaMychal Green (10) also reached double figures. Hyland crashed Jokic’s post-game media availability with a message.

“M-V-P,” Hyland started chanting. “M-V-P, M-V-P.”

After missing his first six shots and going scoreless in the first quarter, Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 38 points, while CJ McCollum added 24.

The Nuggets led by as many as 21 in a dominant first quarter. Denver made 14 of its 20 shots, including a 4-for-6 mark from 3-point range, and limited the Pelicans to 38.1% from the field, taking a 16-point lead to the second quarter.

The Pelicans closed within three points in the final minute of second quarter and trailed the Nuggets 62-57 at halftime after Ingram capped a 14-point second quarter with an unorthodox buzzer-beater from midcourt.

Ingram’s 20th point gave the Pelicans their first lead in the middle of the third quarter. New Orleans led by 10 to start the fourth quarter after scoring the final nine points of the third. Ingram hit a 3-pointer that Malone thought he traveled into. The referees then called Gordon for a travel on the other end and Malone was ejected after picking up two quick technical fouls.

“I apologized to the team. If we would’ve lost that game by one or two points … I have to be much better,” Malone said. “I have to control my emotions. I cannot put them in a position like that.”

The Nuggets were assessed a third technical for delay of game. Ingram hit all three of the free throws before Devonte’ Graham hit a corner 3 to make it a 94-84 game to start the fourth.

The Nuggets closed within five in the middle of the fourth but trailed by 11 before Jokic took over for the team’s eighth win in the last nine games.

“What a luxury it is to have the MVP in an overtime game, knowing that you can just play through him. They double-teamed him. Monte Morris makes a big 3,” Malone said. “It’s just such a confidence that you have because you know in a close game, he’s so clutch he’s going to make the play again and again. For him to step up the way he did, it just speaks to his greatness.”

After a long night’s work, Jokic and the Nuggets finish a four-game homestand Monday against Golden State.

“This dude is incredible. I don’t say that about a lot of people. I only say that about a handful of people. He’s incredible, man. He’s the MVP,” Gordon said. “I believe that. He’s coming in night in, night out, just putting up ridiculous numbers, and we’re winning.”