NEW ORLEANS — One message for the Nuggets this season has centered on one thing — rebounding.

When they do it, they have a better chance of winning. When they don’t, a result like the 101-95 loss to the Pelicans on Thursday night at the Smoothie King Center is a more common result.

“That’s a big part of what we preach every day,” said Nuggets first-year coach Michael Malone.

The Pelicans, who counted star forward Anthony Davis among their seven players out for the season with injuries, outrebounded the Nuggets by 11, pulling down 14 of their 51 total rebounds while on the offensive end and contributing to their 11 second-chance points.

But poor rebounding wasn’t the only thing that plagued the Nuggets (32-45) in a loss that officially eliminated them from the playoff race. They had too many defensive letdowns.

“I thought in the first half we didn’t defend at all,” Malone said. “Neither did they. … I told the guys at halftime the first team to play defense is going to win.”

No lead for the Nuggets lasted long against the Pelicans (28-47). Their largest, a 50-44 margin held late in the first half, disappeared with a 12-2 run by the Pelicans over the final minutes before halftime.

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The Nuggets took a 78-77 lead into the fourth quarter, after Will Barton scored his first points when he was fouled as he attempted a 3-pointer and made three free throws.

That Barton was held scoreless until the 1:18 mark in the third quarter only showed the kind of focus the Pelicans put on stopping him.

“We spent a lot of time talking about him (Thursday) in the coaches meeting because he had played really well against us,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. “I thought we did a great job on him. He didn’t have a field goal and I thought we kept him in check.”

Without the usual spark from Barton, who scored six points, Darrell Arthur posted a career-high 24 from off the bench with sore knees on 10-of-15 shooting.

“For him to go out there and gut through that performance really speaks to his mentality and who he is,” Malone said of Arthur.

The Pelicans went ahead 81-80 with a floating jumper by Tim Frazier at the 10:08 mark, and they never trailed after that, with Frazier’s 3 with 54.4 seconds left for a 99-91 lead all but clinching the win.

Barton had attempted what would have been a tying 3-pointer with 1:19 left that hit the front of the rim, before the Pelicans made their finishing push.

Luke Babbitt scored 22 points for the Pelicans.

The Nuggets have five games left.

“I feel like every game at this point is a learning experience,” said Gary Harris, who scored 16 points for Denver.