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Denver Nuggets First Basket Stats

The Nuggets scored first in 55% of 2025-26 games, T-8th of 30.The Nuggets made the first field goal in 54% of 2025-26 games, T-10th of 30.

Stats through Nov 1

TonightTrail Blazers at Nuggets, 9:10 PM ETStarters and prices →

Trail BlazersPORNuggetsDEN

2025-262026-27 so farunder 10: a dot a game

43 of 8252%Won the tip57%47 of 82
4 of 53 of 5
47 of 8257%First shot50%41 of 82
3 of 53 of 5
37 of 8245%Scored first55%45 of 82
2 of 53 of 5
39 of 8248%First FG54%44 of 82
2 of 53 of 5
23 of 4353%After a tip win68%32 of 47
2 of 43 of 3
22 of 4351%After a tip win64%30 of 47
2 of 43 of 3

Scored first

55%45 of 82T-8th of 30
New York Knicks 63%Cleveland Cavaliers 62%Miami Heat 61%Los Angeles Lakers 57%Minnesota Timberwolves 57%Orlando Magic 57%San Antonio Spurs 57%Denver Nuggets 55%Oklahoma City Thunder 55%Phoenix Suns 55%Utah Jazz 55%Boston Celtics 52%Philadelphia 76ers 52%Atlanta Hawks 50%New Orleans Pelicans 50%Toronto Raptors 50%Detroit Pistons 49%Golden State Warriors 49%LA Clippers 49%Charlotte Hornets 48%Houston Rockets 48%Indiana Pacers 46%Sacramento Kings 46%Portland Trail Blazers 45%Memphis Grizzlies 43%Dallas Mavericks 41%Milwaukee Bucks 39%Brooklyn Nets 38%Washington Wizards 37%Chicago Bulls 33%

mostmiddle 50%fewest

2026-27 so far3 of 5

Made the first field goal

54%44 of 82T-10th of 30
Cleveland Cavaliers 61%Minnesota Timberwolves 60%New York Knicks 59%Los Angeles Lakers 57%Miami Heat 57%Orlando Magic 57%Toronto Raptors 56%Oklahoma City Thunder 55%Utah Jazz 55%Denver Nuggets 54%Detroit Pistons 54%Phoenix Suns 54%San Antonio Spurs 54%Boston Celtics 52%Charlotte Hornets 51%New Orleans Pelicans 50%Golden State Warriors 49%Houston Rockets 49%Philadelphia 76ers 49%Sacramento Kings 49%Atlanta Hawks 48%LA Clippers 48%Portland Trail Blazers 48%Indiana Pacers 44%Memphis Grizzlies 44%Dallas Mavericks 41%Milwaukee Bucks 41%Brooklyn Nets 38%Washington Wizards 35%Chicago Bulls 33%

mostmiddle 51%fewest

2026-27 so far3 of 5

Won the opening tip

57%47 of 82T-7th of 30
San Antonio Spurs 78%Orlando Magic 73%Phoenix Suns 72%Los Angeles Lakers 66%Cleveland Cavaliers 65%Miami Heat 62%Denver Nuggets 57%Utah Jazz 57%Brooklyn Nets 56%Minnesota Timberwolves 52%Oklahoma City Thunder 52%Portland Trail Blazers 52%Philadelphia 76ers 51%Sacramento Kings 51%Atlanta Hawks 50%New York Knicks 50%Indiana Pacers 49%LA Clippers 46%Golden State Warriors 45%Toronto Raptors 45%Detroit Pistons 44%Boston Celtics 43%Charlotte Hornets 43%Chicago Bulls 38%Dallas Mavericks 38%Houston Rockets 38%Memphis Grizzlies 38%Washington Wizards 34%Milwaukee Bucks 29%New Orleans Pelicans 25%

mostmiddle 50%fewest

2026-27 so far3 of 5

Took the first shot

50%41 of 82T-16th of 30
Phoenix Suns 68%San Antonio Spurs 67%Los Angeles Lakers 62%Orlando Magic 61%Cleveland Cavaliers 60%Miami Heat 60%Minnesota Timberwolves 59%Portland Trail Blazers 57%Oklahoma City Thunder 56%Utah Jazz 56%New York Knicks 54%Atlanta Hawks 52%Brooklyn Nets 51%Indiana Pacers 51%Sacramento Kings 51%Denver Nuggets 50%Toronto Raptors 50%Charlotte Hornets 48%Detroit Pistons 48%Boston Celtics 47%Philadelphia 76ers 46%Dallas Mavericks 43%Memphis Grizzlies 42%LA Clippers 41%Golden State Warriors 40%Washington Wizards 40%Chicago Bulls 39%Houston Rockets 39%Milwaukee Bucks 35%New Orleans Pelicans 27%

mostmiddle 51%fewest

2026-27 so far3 of 5

Scored first after winning the tip

68%32 of 4713th of 30
New Orleans Pelicans 85%New York Knicks 83%Golden State Warriors 76%Los Angeles Lakers 76%Sacramento Kings 74%Philadelphia 76ers 73%Atlanta Hawks 71%Charlotte Hornets 71%Cleveland Cavaliers 70%Toronto Raptors 70%Detroit Pistons 69%Miami Heat 69%Denver Nuggets 68%Minnesota Timberwolves 67%Orlando Magic 67%Boston Celtics 66%San Antonio Spurs 66%Utah Jazz 66%Memphis Grizzlies 65%Oklahoma City Thunder 64%Indiana Pacers 63%Milwaukee Bucks 63%Dallas Mavericks 61%Houston Rockets 61%Phoenix Suns 60%LA Clippers 58%Washington Wizards 54%Portland Trail Blazers 53%Brooklyn Nets 52%Chicago Bulls 52%

mostmiddle 66%fewest

2026-27 so far3 of 3

First field goal after winning the tip

64%30 of 47T-15th of 30
New Orleans Pelicans 80%Los Angeles Lakers 76%New York Knicks 76%Sacramento Kings 76%Golden State Warriors 73%Charlotte Hornets 71%Toronto Raptors 70%Cleveland Cavaliers 68%Philadelphia 76ers 68%Detroit Pistons 67%Minnesota Timberwolves 67%Boston Celtics 66%Utah Jazz 66%Orlando Magic 65%Denver Nuggets 64%Oklahoma City Thunder 64%Atlanta Hawks 63%Miami Heat 63%Milwaukee Bucks 63%San Antonio Spurs 63%Dallas Mavericks 61%Houston Rockets 61%Memphis Grizzlies 61%Indiana Pacers 60%Phoenix Suns 59%LA Clippers 55%Brooklyn Nets 52%Chicago Bulls 52%Portland Trail Blazers 51%Washington Wizards 43%

mostmiddle 64%fewest

2026-27 so far3 of 3

Who scores their first pointsWho makes their first field goal

Per start for the Nuggets, their own starts only

2025-262026-27 so farunder 10: a dot a start

Nikola JokicC31%20 of 651 of 5
Jamal MurrayPG31%23 of 751 of 5
Jalen PickettPG22%4 of 18no start
Aaron GordonPF18%6 of 332 of 5
Cameron JohnsonSF17%9 of 541 of 2
Peyton WatsonSF15%6 of 40no start
Julian StrawtherSG14%2 of 14no start
Spencer JonesPF14%5 of 37no start
Nikola JokicC31%20 of 651 of 5
Jamal MurrayPG28%21 of 752 of 5
Jalen PickettPG22%4 of 18no start
Julian StrawtherSG21%3 of 14no start
Aaron GordonPF18%6 of 331 of 5
Cameron JohnsonSF17%9 of 541 of 2
Peyton WatsonSF15%6 of 40no start
Spencer JonesPF14%5 of 37no start

Who takes their first shot

Per start for the Nuggets, their own starts only

2025-262026-27 so farunder 10: a dot a start

Jamal MurrayPG28%21 of 753 of 5
Nikola JokicC28%18 of 651 of 5
Jalen PickettPG22%4 of 18no start
Aaron GordonPF21%7 of 330 of 5
Cameron JohnsonSF20%11 of 541 of 2
Peyton WatsonSF18%7 of 40no start
Spencer JonesPF11%4 of 37no start
Julian StrawtherSG7%1 of 14no start

Who jumps

2025-262026-27 so farunder 10: a dot a jump

Nikola Jokic56%36 of 643 of 5
DaRon Holmes II2 of 6no jumps
Aaron Gordon4 of 5no jumps

Against the Nuggets, by position

fewermiddle teammore

PG9%7 of 821 of 5T-19th
SG5%4 of 820 of 5T-24th
SF9%7 of 820 of 5T-20th
PF6%5 of 821 of 5T-26th
C17%14 of 820 of 5T-3rd
PG9%7 of 821 of 5T-19th
SG6%5 of 820 of 5T-20th
SF10%8 of 820 of 5T-16th
PF6%5 of 821 of 5T-24th
C16%13 of 820 of 5T-5th

Last 10 games

the Nuggets got it

DateOppTipShotFirstFirst basket

2026-27

Oct 30@ PHXBridges PHX
Oct 28@ NOPMurray
Oct 26vs GSWJokic
Oct 24vs NOPGordon
Oct 22@ OKCWallace OKC

2025-26

Apr 12@ SASFox SAS
Apr 10vs OKCValanciunas
Apr 8vs MEMJohnson
Apr 6vs PORCamara POR
Apr 4vs SASJohnson
DateOppTipShotFirstFirst FG

2026-27

Oct 30@ PHXBridges PHX
Oct 28@ NOPMurray
Oct 26vs GSWJokic
Oct 24vs NOPGordon
Oct 22@ OKCWallace OKC

2025-26

Apr 12@ SASFox SAS
Apr 10vs OKCWiggins OKC
Apr 8vs MEMJohnson
Apr 6vs PORCamara POR
Apr 4vs SASJohnson

First basket stats for every team

How it is counted

Every count comes from ESPN play-by-play of finished regular-season games: who won the opening tip, the first shot each team took, and who scored first. A game whose opening the play-by-play cannot show is left out of the tip and first shot counts, never counted as a miss.

Scored first counts free throws, the bet365, FanDuel and Caesars rule; the field goals only switch follows DraftKings, BetMGM, Fanatics, BetRivers and betPARX, a different market. A player who does not start is void at all of them. A player who changed teams counts here on his Nuggets starts only. Positions are this season's depth charts. Under 10 games, starts or jumps a count shows a dot a game; the percent and the rank of 30 start at 10.

Tonight's games, starters and prices →