The Nuggets didn’t look like a team that needed to make a trade in the second half of their final game before the deadline.

The same couldn’t be said of the first half, leaving Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth in a tricky spot, as Denver navigates injuries to Peyton Watson and Russell Westbrook.

“It’s been so hard to tell this year,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone answered when asked if he’s confident his team has everything it needs to contend for a championship this season.

“How often have we been fully healthy? How many games has Aaron Gordon missed? Then, he gets back and now Peyton (Watson) is out. Then, Russ is out. So, it’s hard to truly know who we are, because how many times have we been fully locked and loaded?”

After a first half that featured the kind of defense that gets Malone to burn timeouts and turn his hair a different shade of gray, Denver turned it on in the second half to beat the Pelicans 144-117 on Wednesday at Ball Arena. It was the Nuggets’ fourth consecutive win ahead of Thursday afternoon’s deadline.

“It’s amazing when you do defend and you do rebound what this team is capable of doing offensively,” Malone said. “That was on full display not only in the third quarter but the fourth, as well.”

Michael Porter Jr. matched his career-high with 39 points. Malone tried to run a play for Porter to record the first 40-point game of his career, but he couldn’t connect.

“I just missed it,” Porter said.

“I’m just trying to be active on the glass, active in transition and those points started to pile up a little bit.”

The 26-year-old also grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out four assists and recorded three steals. Malone said after Monday’s game that the Nuggets will not be moving Porter ahead of the deadline.

“We know what Michael gives us from an offensive lens, the shooting, the efficiency,” Malone said.

“It’s just great to see him playing at such a high level.”

Nikola Jokic added 38 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

Of the 28 shots he attempted, 13 came from 3-point range. That’s a new career-high for him.

“I was open,” Jokic said.

“It just felt good coming out of my hands, so I just kept shooting.”

Christian Braun added 23 points and nine rebounds. Jamal Murray and Julian Strawther added 10 points apiece, while Aaron Gordon matched his career high with 12 assists.

The Nuggets dominated the third quarter 45-27 to break the game open. Porter scored 14 of his points in the period. Jokic scored nine points and dished out five of his assists in the third.

“We were really good offensively tonight,” Jokic said. “That’s why we won the game.”

Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 28 points, while Trey Murphy III added 25.

After the wave circulated Ball Arena a few times in the middle of the fourth quarter, fans started heading for the exits with the Nuggets up 19 in the final few minutes. There’s the chance the Nuggets look a little bit different the next time fans are cheering on the home team at Ball Arena.

“I like how we’re playing. We’ve shown we can beat and compete with anybody in this league as currently constructed,” Malone said. “Obviously, Calvin, I’m sure is taking and making whatever calls he needs to make, but I’m going to coach this team, and I love the group that we have, and I believe in this group. We’ll see what happens.”

NUGGETS 144, PELICANS 119

What happened: The game was tied after the first quarter and went to halftime deadlocked at 68. A 45-point third quarter helped the Nuggets lead by 18 to start the fourth, and Denver improved to 32-19 on the season.

What went right: The Nuggets offense hummed from start to finish. No quarter was better than the third when Denver scored 45, but the Nuggets scored more than 30 in every quarter.

What went wrong: Denver’s defense in the first half left a lot to be desired. The Pelicans scored more than 30 points in each of the first two quarters and were 7 of 15 from 3-point range at halftime.

Highlight of the night: Michael Porter Jr. did plenty of scoring, but his most impressive play might’ve been a pass in the first half. Porter picked up his dribble in the corner and patiently waited for DeAndre Jordan to complete his cut. When Jordan made it near the hoop, Porter threaded a bounce pass to Jordan for a dunk.

Up next: The Nuggets welcome back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the Orlando Magic on Thursday at Ball Arena.