Dallas Mavericks 109 vs 118 Denver Nuggets summary: stats and highlights | NBA
The Denver Nuggets are heading to the All-Star Break with a commanding lead in the Western Conference after beating the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. Nikola Jokic added another triple double to his season tally in the 118-109 win from Ball Arena.
Stars sit in Denver
Both teams came into the game short handed in the days leading up to the All-Star Break. The Mavs saw Kyrie Irving sidelined with lower back stiffness which meant Dallas is going to have to wait until after the break to see Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving win a game as teammates.
The Nuggets were without Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray and Zeke Nnaji, so the role players were going to have to step up for the home side and Michael Porter Jr. stole the spotlight early on. Porter was aggressive from the start making amends for Jokic’s ice cold start.
With no Irving, Doncic carried the majority of the scoring load. He came out and dropped 17 of the Mavericks 25 first quarter points, but didn’t get much help from his teammates at the beginning of the game or at the end of the game.
Nuggets making history
It took Jokic 18 minutes to get his first field goal, and never really got going from the field but even on a slow shooting night the Serbian posted a triple double for the 21st time this season.
Most of his assists went to Jeff Green who got easy bucket after easy bucket around the rim, and finished with a Nuggets high 24 points off the bench.
The Nuggets head to the break with 41 wins which is a franchise record this far into the season. The Mavericks prospects look promising but they have a lot to figure out coming out of the break as Luka and Kyrie continue to build their chemistry on the fly.
Jeff Green put on an areal spectacular at Ball Arena, and finished the game with 24 points on 11/16 shooting.
Every one of the Nuggets starting 5 finished with double digits including Caldwell-Pope who finished the game with 14.
Jeff Green did most of his damage around the rim, usually on passes from Jokic but this time it came from Braun.
Jokic had a point through the first 18 minutes of the game, so everyone else had to pitch in. Christian Braun dropped this three and the bench scored 46.
The Nuggets came into the night missing three key players, but with no Jamal Murray or Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. stepped up and had 22 points.
Wright makes a three ball to end the game, and the Nuggets cruise to vicotry here in Denver!
We are under a minute to go in the fourth quarter from Denver.
Backdoor pass to Brown and Jokic now has a triple double after his 10th assist!
Wright on the runner through the lane. He gets it to go and gets fouled. FT is good.
Wright gets the lay up down the iddle of the lane.
Hardy hits the triple try!
Cancar with the big jam and everyone is getting in on the action tonight. There are less than three minutes to go here from Denver.
Brown floats one down the lane from 11 feet.
Doncic with a deep three and he's got 37!
Jokic feeding Green and that results in another big slam
Porter strokes the three ball and it's back to a 15 point game here in Denver!!
Timeout DAL with 4:42 to go in the 4th quarter.
Great look on the baseline from Jokic and Green comes flying in for the tomahawk slam!
It's Wood again, this time off the pick and roll and Doncic hit him.
Reverse from Brown on the drive from the right to left side
Wood got fouled by Green and hit both FTs.
Jokic with the interior pass to Green on the baseline and he hits the reverse.
Three ball from Wood and he's the one keeping Dallas alive in this fourth quarter.
Jokic out of the timeout going right at the bucket, gets fouled AND 1!! FT is good
Wood with a triple try and we have a 10 point game after a hot start to the fourth quarter for the Mavs.
TO Denver with 8:51 to go in the fourth quarter.
Wood with a beautiful spin in the paint, stretches for the dunk and gets the foul! FT is good to comlete the three point play.
That's a start! Wright makes it rain from DT with a three ball.
Hardy drops a three ball and the Mavs need about 20 of those to go down to get back into this game.
Smith gets the friendly roll on his baseline jumper from the mid range.
Wood on the alley oop to Wood
Bryant starts the fourth quarter fighting for position under the rim and gets the bucket to go and the foul! FT is good.
What a pass from Ish Smith to Bryant slashing to the iron and finishing with a jam.
That brings us to the end of the 3rd quarter and the Nuggets lead by 18.
Lawson drops a three ball off the Doncic assist.
Green going back to the rack and he can not be stopped!
Doncic answers back with a three and he's flirting with 40 points but his team is getting blown out.
Green with the triple try and he's got the hot hand tonight! He's got 16 off the bench.
Hardy to the line after the Green foul and he hits two of two.
Brayn slicing down main street and finger rolls it in.
Green breaking behind everyone in transition and he gets the slam as a reward for his hustle.
Lawson dashing to the rack and gets the finish on the break.
Out of the timeout Doncic hits his pattented turn around fade away.
Green with the steal, and the score! Timeout DAL who trail by 19 with 3:36 to go in the third quarter.
Braun found Green downlow and he hits the turn around hood.
Doncic fouled by Porter Jr. and he hits one of two FTs.
Cancar got open and Jokic found him slashing to the bucket for the lay up.
Brown with an easy lay up on the other end.
Powell with nothing else to do and nowhere else to go, hits the long two from the top of the key.
KCP gets to the line after the Bullock foul in transition, and drops both FTs
Doncic found Lawson wide open for the catch and shoot three bal!
Porter Jr with another three ball, and that's all we have seen in this third quarter! Tons of threes falling in Ball Arena.
Doncic getting back to the basket and hits the runner after the Powell dish.
It's raining threes in Denver! KCP with a corner three ball and the lead is back to 16!
KCP drops the triple try and, but Doncic answers with a three ball of his own.
Green with a three ball and the Mavs will need a little help from Green and the rest of the role players.
WE ARE BACK IN PLAY FROM DENVER!!!
Porter starts the third quarter going to the line and hitting one of two FTs.
Luka had 17 of the Mavs 25 points in the first quarter. The Dallas supporting cast has been absent tonight with Kyrie on the bench. Doncic has 23 at the half, but McGee is the Mavs next leading scorer with 5 points.
Jeff Green has 7 points off the bench and none were prettier than this second quarter alley oop.
Nikola Jokic got off to a slow start, so it was MIchael Porter Jr. getting the Nuggets off the block in the right direction. He leads the Nuggest leading scorer through two quarters.
Jokic on the up and under as the buzzer sounds and the Nuggets end the half up by 17 points!
Jokic and the Nuggets turned it on in the second quarter. DEN outscored the Mavs 35-19 in the second, and Jokic had 10 in the final six minutes of the half.
Doncic fighting his way back to the basket and he gets the bucket to go.
Brown in tranisition and he explodes to the rim for the fast break slam.
McGee with a lay up down low after Pinson found him on the cut.
Green drops a three for the Mavs, and then Porter Jr. responds with a triple try to put the lead back to 17.
Jokic using his body to get open down low and gets the easy jumper after absorbing the contact.
Following the Brown miss was Cancar and get gets the tip in to go.
Jokic is starting to feel it, he gets an easy lay up after KCP found hiim slashing to the bucket.
Doncic splits the double team and hits the short jumper.
Jokic with the up and under and sometimes it looks too easy for the Big Serbian.
Porter Jr. on the double clutch reverse, and he's feeling it with 12 points tonight.
Deep two from Ntilkina after the Powell offensive rebound.
Doncic to the line after the Braun foul, and he hits both FTs.
Jokic finally gets his first field goal with 6 minutes to go in the half.
Braun at the line after the foul on Powell, and he splits the two FTs.
Powell gets the finish after the Wood finds him underneath.
TO on the floor with 6:48 to go in the first half.
Bryant with the thrown down off the alley from Braun to blow the lid off this Ball Arena.
Ntilikina spinning in the land and hitting the leaner.
Smith has been hot since coming off the bench to start the second quarter and he hits the pull up from the elbow.
Green in the corner and he drops the three ball off the assist from Smith!
Dallas takes a timeout after seeing the lead stretch to 10 with 9:05 to go in the half.
Caldwell-Pope tries one from around the FT line and that drops as well from the Nugs!
Wood pulls up over Green and hits the mid range jumper.
Green gets in the lane and drops the turn around from inside the FT line.
Smith going to the rack this time and gets the finger roll to drop.
Smith starts the second quarter off with a mid range jumper from the FT line.
Bryant scrapping on the offensive boards, and he got fouled by Wood with under 5 seconds to go. He hits one of two and that's how the first quarter is going to end!
Doncic has 17 of the Mavericks 25 points in a quarter where Jokic was held to just a point. Porter Jr has 10 points to lead the Nuggets.
Doncic with the steal, and he missed the lay up, but a late whistle against Green was blown and the fans are letting their feelings about the call be heard. Both FTs are good and we have a tie game.
Defensive 3 seconds called on DEN and Doncic hits the FT.
Doncic with another easy dunk around the basket! He's getting what ever he wants against this Denver defense.
Out of the timeout, Green on the turn around in the paint to extend the lead to 5.
Luka using that pivot foot to open up space and he hits the fader for his 13 point of the first quarter.
Timeout Nuggets with 2:12 to go in the quarter.
McGee was fouled by Brayn and he hit one of two.
Jokic dragged down the rebound, ran the break and found Braun wide open for the three ball!
Luka going back to the rack and he gets fouled and gets the bucket. FT is good for another three point play.
Jokic is fouled by McGee and he is finally on the board after making one of two FTs.
McGee on the alley oop from Doncic and he threw that down on Porter Jr.
Cancar just tried to posterive Pinson in tranisiton, and just missed out on the highlight slam. He'll settle for the two made FTs.
Three ball from Porter Jr. in the corner after the offensive rebound from Cancar.
Doncic is fouled by Cancar and he hits both FTs from the line.
Porter Jr. going strong to the basket and finishing with a soft kiss off the glass.
Luka walking to the basket and dropping the easy bucket AND ONE! FT is good to complete the three point play.
Porter Jr. comes out of the timeout and gets another easy bucket after a Eurostep from the left side.
Cancar slipping in weak side and getting an easy lay up off the glass on the baseline dish from Caldwell-Pope.
Caldwell-Pope knocks down the three ball to give the Nuggest the lead!
Doncic playing the distrubtors role early, finding Powell on the alley oop.
Bullock starts his night off with a three ball in the corner after a pass from Doncic.
Porter Jr. drills the three ball and Jokic has yet to touch the ball in the first two possessions.
Doncic using the glass on a short jumper from the right side to open his account.
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM DENVER!!!
Cancar hits the mid range jumper from the FT line to get things going at Ball Arena.
Denver's starters
The Mavs aren't the only ones coming into tonight banged up. The Nuggets will be without Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray tonight. Like Luka, Nikola Jokic will have to be on his A game to lead the Nugs to victory in Devner tonight.
Dallas Starting five
With no Kyrie, it will be Frank Ntilkina in the starting 5. Luka Doncic has shown he is capable of carrying his side to victory and he will have to do that tonight for Jason Kidd’s side.
Kyrie out tonight
Kyrie Irving was a late scratch from tonight's game in Denver. He is out with low back tightness and will be joined by Tim Hardaway Jr, Davis Bertans and Maxi Klber on the sidelines against the Western Conference's best team. Luka is going to be working double duty tonight.
MVJOKIC
It seems like each year we ask how much better can Nikola Jokic get? But every year he seems to get better and better. He is an anomaly that is impossible to guard, and has the vision of a sharp shooter when it comest to his passing. He is currently averaging a triple double at 25 points, 11.4 rebonds and 10 assist this season, and is the frontrunner to win his third straight MVP. If he reaches this milestone, he will join Wilt Chamberlin, Bill Russell and Larry Bird as the only players in history to win three straight MVPs.
How the West is shaping up
Taking a look at the Western Conference standings just a few days before the All-Star break we see the Nuggets at the top of the table with a record of 40-18. They lead the second placed Memphis Grizzlies by 5 games, and you have to go all the way down to sixth place. They are 9.5 games back of the Nuggets and sit just a half game over the Pelicans who are currently in 7th, which is Play-In Tournament position.
The MVP is in the house
Denver’s Mr. Everything comes into tonight knowing that the Mavs and the rest of the West have them targeted. Luka Doncic is one of the many stars in the league who are looking to derail Nikola Doncic from a third straight MVP title. This game is as much about the Serbian vs. the Slovenian as it is about the Mavs vs. the Nuggets.
Dallas arrive in Denver
This just in: Kyrie Irving will not play tonight in Denver. The Mavs hit the road again after just one game in Dallas and now Luke Doncic will have to knock off the West’s top team at their home court without the All-Star guard. Doncic and Irving have looked good at times, but have yet to win a game together, and the Slovaniean will have to wait to do so with Kai sidelined with back tightness.
Jokic leads Nuggets in Dade County
Denver is coming back to Colorado after winning a tight one in Miami to keep their cushion at the top of the Western Conference table. Miami jumped out to an early double digit lead on the shoulders of Jimmy Butler, but Nikola Jokic and the Nugs took command of the lead in the second quarter and didn’t let it go. Jokic ended the game with 27 points, and went 12-14 from the field against the best low post defense in the league.
Mavs last game
The Mavericks returned home after a long road trip, and debuted Luka and Kyrie for the first time in American Airlines Center. Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves went into Dallas and spoiled the debut of the new duo in Big D. Edwards had 32 points and helped Minnesota build up a 26 point lead which they almost blew in the fourth quarter. Kyrie Irving exploded for 26 points in the fourth quarter to give the Mavs a chance at a game tying three late in the fourth, but neither Luka nor Irving could get a shot off at the end of the game and the Mavs lost their second straight game with their new duo on the floor.
We are live from Ball Arena
Hello everyone and welcome to Denver where the Nuggets put their best record to the test against the newest Super Team in the NBA. It hasn’t quite gone to plan for the Dallas Mavericks who have seen Kyrie and Luka on the court together for the last two games, but both resulted in losses. Tonight both of them look for their first win on the floor together, but it’s not going to come easy against the reigning two-time MVP.
Mavs vs. Nugs live
It’s a Western Conference showdown between the team at the top of the standings, the Denver Nuggets taking on the NBA’s newest duo that has propelled the Mavericks into the NBA Finals conversation. AS English will be with you all night long providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s game from Ball Arena.