NBA · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Denver Nuggets First Basket Stats
How often the Denver Nuggets win the opening tip and score the game's first basket, who scores it for them, and from which position. Built from every tracked NBA game.
- The Denver Nuggets win the opening tip 58.5% of the time (82 games).
- The Denver Nuggets score the game's first basket 54.9% of the time (82 games).
- When the Denver Nuggets win the tip, they score the first basket 66.7% of the time (48 games).
- At home, the Denver Nuggets score the first basket 61% of the time (41 games); on the road, 48.8% (41 games).
- Guards score 44.4% of first baskets for the Denver Nuggets, forwards 31.1% and centers 24.4% (45 games).
- Jamal Murray has the most first baskets for the Denver Nuggets: 17 in 75 starts (22.7%).
| Player | First baskets | Starts | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamal MurrayG | 17 | 75 | 22.7% |
| Nikola JokicC | 8 | 65 | 12.3% |
| Cameron JohnsonF | 7 | 54 | 13% |
| Jonas ValanciunasC | 3 | 6 | 50% |
| Aaron GordonF | 3 | 33 | 9.1% |
| Position | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Guards | 20 | 44.4% |
| Forwards | 14 | 31.1% |
| Centers | 11 | 24.4% |
More first basket stats
- NBA and WNBA first basket stats: the league leaders, every team, and how often the tip winner scores first
- Denver Nuggets in FirstIQ: the team page, with its games, roster and first basket rates by player
- First basket picks today: the model's pick for every game today, one of them free
Denver Nuggets first basket questions
The Denver Nuggets have scored the game's first basket in 54.9% of their tracked games (82 games).
When they win the opening tip, they score first 66.7% of the time (48 games).
The Denver Nuggets have won the opening tip in 58.5% of their tracked games (82 games). The team that wins the tip gets the first possession, which is why a first basket pick starts with the jump ball.
Jamal Murray, with 17 first baskets in 75 starts, followed by Nikola Jokic (8) and Cameron Johnson (7). The table on this page has each player's first baskets, starts and rate.
On the first basket picks page: the model's pick for every game today, one of them free, with every finished game graded.