What this Nuggets win says about the Mavericks’ troubling new reality

What less than a year ago was a clash between the two most recent NBA Western Conference finalists – and therefore a meeting of genuine title contenders – has now turned into a game between a true aspirant and a team at the opposite end of the spectrum. Denver Nuggets are still right there, stalking the championship, arguably with even more force than over the past two seasons thanks to the summer additions that have given them real depth. By contrast, the Dallas Mavericks have been bleeding since the trade of Luka Dončić, undone by injuries and poor play, with nothing left that resembles the team that fought for the title in June 2024.

Those sharply diverging paths were on full display at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, where the Nuggets claimed a 118–109 win, their fifth victory in the past six games. All of them have come without Nikola Jokić, and Denver’s record in his absence now stands at 6–3. On this night, most of the roster was available apart from the Serbian star, but the Nuggets have also won several of those games without other key pieces such as Aaron Gordon or Jamal Murray. The verdict is clear: the front office’s summer work to build a reliable second unit has paid off.

Both the 2023 champions and the emerging contributors shone. Murray poured in 33 points with five assists, Gordon added 22 points and six rebounds, while younger faces continued to step up – 18 points and five rebounds from Peyton Watson, 12 points with four three-pointers from Tim Hardaway Jr., and 10 points plus five boards from Spencer Jones. With those tools, and despite a brief lapse in the fourth quarter, Denver won with relative comfort in Texas.

Dallas did make things interesting late. The Mavericks trailed by as many as 23 points before cutting the deficit to five in the final 12 minutes. A 13–2 run by Denver pushed the score to what looked like a decisive 101–85. Yet the Mavs rallied again, closing to within six with 1:12 left, only for a Murray pull-up jumper and two Gordon free throws to extinguish any remaining hope.

For a fan base starved of good news, the night brought two more setbacks in the form of injuries. First, Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall draft pick, missed the entire second half with a sprained ankle. Then Daniel Gafford suffered the same injury and headed to the locker room, once again leaving Dallas thin inside. The Mavericks are already without Anthony Davis for at least six weeks and Dereck Lively for the rest of the season. With the interior depleted, the perimeter game was supposed to pick up the slack – but it collapsed completely. Dallas shot just 14.7% from three-point range (five makes on 34 attempts), their worst mark of the season. A total disaster.

Other results from the night

• Indiana Pacers 101 – 115 Toronto Raptors
• Philadelphia 76ers 107 – 133 Cleveland Cavaliers
• Chicago Bulls 128 – 126 Utah Jazz
• New Orleans Pelicans 116 – 113 Brooklyn Nets
• Sacramento Kings 112 – 101 New York Knicks
• Los Angeles Clippers 119 – 105 Washington Wizards

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