Jokić tells booing Nuggets fans to stay away after comeback

Nikola Jokić told Denver Nuggets fans who booed during Saturday’s home game against the New Orleans Pelicans that they were “not welcome anymore”, despite his team recovering from a 23-point deficit to win 141-135 in overtime.

The boos came in the first half, when Denver trailed by more than 20 points. The Nuggets had entered the game without a win after losing their season opener to the Oklahoma City Thunder, in which they scored 84 points — their lowest regular-season total since January 2024.

Denver turn around late deficit

New Orleans led by as many as 23 points and still held a 16-point advantage with 7:24 remaining. Denver fought back to force overtime, preventing the Pelicans from attempting a field goal in the final 80 seconds of regulation.

The Nuggets then outscored New Orleans 15-9 in the extra period to complete the comeback. The crowd’s mood had changed by then: rookie Trevon Brazile received MVP chants in overtime from the home fans.

It was Denver’s first home game of the season, and the contrast between the earlier boos and the late support did not sit well with Jokić, the Nuggets’ three-time MVP.

Jokić responds to home crowd

“We got booed at our first home game, and I think those fans who booed us, they don’t need to come anymore,” Jokić said. “If you guys follow us, you know that we never quit and we’ve come back from much worse situations. So if they ask me, they are not welcome anymore.”

His comments followed a dramatic turnaround after Denver had trailed by as many as 23 points. The victory gave the Nuggets their first win after the opening defeat to Oklahoma City.

What comes next for Denver

The reaction from the stands came against a backdrop of recent disappointment for Nuggets supporters. Denver lost a first-round playoff series to the Timberwolves last spring, then signed and traded forward Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a move described as largely financial.

Jokić can become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. Although he has said on several occasions that he intends to re-sign, that decision is not yet binding. For now, Denver’s comeback has put the focus on both the result and Jokić’s blunt response to the fans who booed.