The New Orleans Pelicans were in such control Saturday night that the fans in Denver’s Ball Arena booed their own Nuggets at one point.

But then came an epic collapse by the Pelicans that changed the mood.

The Pelicans, who led by 23 points, blew the lead and fell 141-135 in overtime.

“We didn’t take care of the basketball,” said Pelicans’ coach Jamahl Mosley. “They went on a run. The got out early and got some easy 3’s. … It was them turning up their pressure, turning up their heat. They made some big shots down the stretch.”

The Pelicans (0-3) will have to wait another day to get Mosley his first victory as their head coach. This seemed like the game they’d get it. They led by 14 after the first quarter, by 16 at halftime and by 16 with 7:24 remaining.

“We were playing excellent basketball,” Mosley said about the first 3 ½ quarters. “I think we had 22 assists on 29 field goals in the first half. I talked about us being able to share it. Move it and continue to trust it. Some shots didn’t fall down the stretch. (But) that can’t impact how we’re going to defend.”

The Pels got outscored 37-18 in the fourth quarter.

Trey Murphy led the Pelicans with 26 points, but had a turnover with a second remaining in regulation with the game tied. Murphy shot 10-for-17 from the floor and 4-for-8 on 3-pointers in what was his best game of the young season. Dejounte Murray scored 22 points. Zion Williamson and Derik Queen had 17 each and Saddiq Bey scored 14. The Pelicans were without Yves Missi, who suffered a bruised bone in his left knee in Friday’s loss to the Utah Jazz. DeAndre Jordan replaced Missi in the starting lineup and finished with 9 points and 9 rebounds.

But none of that was enough in the end to overcome Denver’s duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Jokic finished with 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Murray scored 42 points and knocked down eight 3-pointers for the Nuggets (1-1), who were playing their home opener.

“Hats off to Jamal Murray and the way he played and Jokic doing the things they did,” Mosley said. “But a lot of that was some self-inflicted wounds that we will have to clean up and continue to focus on and get better there.”

The Pelicans don’t play again until Wednesday when they play these same Nuggets at the Smoothie King Center.