Zion Williamson returned and the New Orleans Pelicans played better.

But the outcome remained familiar as the Denver Nuggets handed the Pelicans their seventh consecutive defeat, 125-118, on Wednesday night in the Smoothie King Center.

Williamson came back after missing the last eight games due to a strained left hamstring, gave the team an early lift and finished with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes.

“He got us off to a really good start,” interim head coach James Borrego said. “His energy and spirit are really important for the team, the city and the organization. We feel like we have a shot every night when he’s on the floor. We didn’t drop the sword tonight, and that’s his spirit.”

Rookie center Derik Queen went against three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, whose all-around skills inspired him growing up, and finished with a season-high 30 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks in 30 minutes. He’s the fifth rookie in the last 20 years to have that stat line or better.

“He responded to the challenge,” Borrego said. “He kept his poise.”

Trey Murphy III scored 23 points and rookie Jeremiah Fears added 16, but New Orleans couldn’t overcome shooting just 44.9 percent from the floor and 20.6 percent on 3-pointers. Denver shot 55.4 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent on 3-pointers.

Jokic averages a triple-double and finished with 28 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds, but committed nine of Denver’s 20 turnovers before fouling out with 2:44 left in the game.

“(I tried) to pressure him a little on both ends of the floor,” Queen said, “trying to turn him over on the defensive end and offensively just going at him trying to get him in foul trouble.”

Peyton Watson had 32 points and 12 rebounds, Jamal Murray had 16 points, Cameron Johnson had 14, and former Pelicans Jonas Valanciunas and Bruce Brown scored 14 points each for the Nuggets (11-3), who defeated New Orleans 122-88, on Oct. 29. Valanciunas made consecutive mid-range jumpers to help stymie the Pelicans’ comeback after Jokic fouled out.

The Pelicans (2-13), whose current losing streak surpassed the one they began the season with, will play at the Dallas Mavericks, whom they defeated 101-99 on the road Nov. 5, on Friday before returning home to play the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

Watson scored eight points during a 14-6 run to start the third quarter, increasing Denver’s lead to 76-64. Murphy made consecutive 3-pointers and New Orleans got within eight points, but the Nuggets took a 97-83 lead at the end of the quarter.

Queen scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and the Pelicans crept within six points in the final minute, but got no closer.

“He had a heck of a second half,” Borrego said of Queen. “He kept us in it with his aggression and playmaking, and he was really good on defense.”

The Pelicans trailed at the end of the first quarter in each of the four previous games of the home-stand, the last three by double figures.

After trailing Portland 30-25 after the first quarter of the first game they trailed the Los Angeles Lakers 35-25 after the first quarter.

The starts got worse as the team adjusted to the firing of head coach Willie Green and the promotion of Borrego on Saturday. The next night New Orleans trailed Golden State 44-28 after the first quarter of a 124-106 loss.

The next night they trailed Oklahoma City 49-24 after the first quarter of a 126-109 loss.

“We’ve got to find more aggression in the first quarter,” Borrego said before the game, and the Pelicans did, bolstered by Williamson’s presence.

They got off to a much better start as the two-time All-Star scored six points in the first four minutes, and the Pelicans raced to a 23-10 lead midway through the quarter while Jokic was going scoreless.

“I loved the activity,” Borrego said of the start. “Then (the Nuggets) settled in, and Jokic did his thing.”

Jokic wound up scoring 10 points and Denver trimmed New Orleans’ lead to 30-26 at the end of the period.

The lead changed hands seven times and the score was tied seven times in the second quarter. Watson’s 3-pointer produced the final lead change and he scored 12 points in the period, which ended with the Nuggets holding a 62-58 halftime lead.