The Dallas Mavericks (22-18) concluded a challenging two-game series against the Denver Nuggets (24-15) on Tuesday night at the American Airlines Center, losing 118-99 despite Kyrie Irving’s return from a five-game absence. The Mavs will have an opportunity to bounce back on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans, marking the conclusion of a back-to-back.
Jamal Murray ignited the Nuggets with 45 points and six assists, while Nikola Jokić delivered a triple-double with 10 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. Denver’s only other double-figure scorer was Michael Porter Jr., who scored 13 points, but more was unnecessary. The Nuggets were one missed free throw away from exceeding 50/40/90 shooting splits as a team, as they went 43 of 83 (51.8%) from the floor, 13 of 29 (44.8%) from three-point range, and 19 of 22 (86.4%) on free throws.
“They executed. Joker’s as good as they come—just being able to make the pass—and they knocked down shots,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. “But we’ve got to be able to rebound the ball. They missed some that we could have come up with. Hopefully, on [Wednesday], we can be better.”
Irving was held to 11 points on just 4 of 18 (22.2%) shooting overall, with his three shots from beyond the arc missing. He added four rebounds, three assists, and four steals, but the offense overall was contained to an inefficient scoring outing, shooting just 38 of 90 (42.2%) overall, 9 of 32 (28.1%) from deep, and 14 of 22 (63.6%) from the free throw line, while the team got outperformed on the boards again.
“Tonight really felt like I just hopped off the couch and decided to play an NBA game tonight,” Irving said. “The warm-up the last few days were good, but there’s nothing like being in an NBA game and just getting rhythm. So I’m grateful my teammates had my back out there. Obviously, it wasn’t the best performance for us.”
The Mavericks’ leading scorer was Daniel Gafford, with only 13 points, with players who have often stepped up when tasked with filling a more prominent role, including P.J. Washington, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, and Quentin Grimes, held in check. With Luka Dončić expected to be sidelined until February before the All-Star break, the Mavericks must acclimate to having Irving back in the lineup as the top option while regaining collective assertiveness and success offensively.
“I think we just took a step back with Kai coming back, and we watched Kai play,” Kidd explained. “It happens when you get someone of his caliber to come back. You expect him to carry the load. It’s something that we have to talk about as we get healthy, bringing guys back.”
The flow of the game got out of hand for the Mavericks early, with the Nuggets leading by as many as 31 points early in the second half.
Jamal Murray Sets the Tone, Denver Nuggets Never Look Back
The Mavericks began the game with an aggressive offensive strategy, emphasizing interior plays. Dereck Lively II and Gafford initially captivated the home crowd by scoring the team’s first six points, with Lively catching a few lobs and Gafford scoring in the post. However, the Nuggets quickly shifted the momentum.
Murray started his impressive night early, contributing nine points quickly, with Porter scoring another five. This offensive onslaught propelled the Nuggets to an early double-figure lead, showcasing their shooting prowess and tactical execution. By the time Murray sank his second off-the-dribble three-pointer of the evening, the Nuggets had established a commanding 16-6 advantage. Denver never looked back from this point on.
“I thought Murray definitely responded with the first hit,” Kidd said. “He was going early and often, and we had trouble guarding him. We just missed some shots that we have made here in the past, and again, this is a game that we typically don’t have. The group that finished the game played hard.”
A timeout did little to slow Denver’s momentum as Russell Westbrook, who finished with nine points, six rebounds, and three assists on the night, extended their lead to 13 points with a corner three-pointer soon after the break. The Nuggets continued to dominate the quarter, stretching their lead to 17 points and closing the period ahead 36-21. Despite Grimes’ near-miss half-court buzzer-beater, which was ruled too late, Denver set the tone, with Murray already boasting 19 points.
“You’re just in the zone, and it’s fun,” Murray said. “Your team knows you’re in the zone. They’re trying to find you as well. The ball has energy, and it was finding me today, and I was just rolling, so I wasn’t looking into it too much. I was just flowing with the game and playing free.
“If I miss a shot or turn it over, it was on to the next play,” Murray continued. “And it’s nice to play just kind of free-minded, you know what I’m saying? Sometimes, you can have so many negatives in the game where it just compounds from one player to another. And today, it was just the opposite.”
Disaster struck for Dallas midway through the first quarter when Lively, who finished with four points in four minutes, sprained his right ankle. This injury sidelined him for the game, further hampering the Mavericks’ ability to compete. While Kidd mentioned he expects Lively to be “out,” the details regarding his injury were minimal.
“Unfortunately, we’re still going to be with injuries with D-Live probably being out,” Kidd said.
The second quarter saw the Nuggets solidify their control as Murray’s scoring spree continued. By mid-period, Murray had amassed 23 points. It didn’t matter what the Mavericks tried to do defensively, whether they tried doubling Jokić or attempting to play straight up out on the perimeter—the Nuggets got what they wanted.
Denver controlled the game for the whole first half. To cap it off, Jokić and Murray extended the lead, 64-39, after consecutive three-pointers right before halftime. It was apparent the Mavericks were strongly outmatched.
Dallas Mavericks Make Late Surge, But It Was Short-Lived
After Westbrook finished at the rim off a Jokić pass, Denver was up by 31 points early in the third quarter. However, while the Mavericks outscored the Nuggets 54-47 in the second half, this wasn’t close enough of an advantage to meaningfully impact the outcome.
Dallas contained the Nuggets to a game-low 20 points in the frame, only putting up 22 points, negating any meaningful potential advantage created. Gafford converted a finger roll as the final made shot of the third period, establishing a 91-67 deficit for the Mavericks entering the final frame.
“This was a game that we typically don’t have,” Kidd said. “The group that finished the game played hard, got it down. But our energy and effort was low [at the start]. We got a game tomorrow to respond.”
Despite a spirited effort from the Mavericks in the fourth quarter, any hope of a comeback seemed fleeting. Olivier-Maxence Prosper cut the deficit to 93-77 with over nine minutes remaining, igniting a brief 10-2 run by Dallas. However, Denver swiftly quashed any momentum, immediately answering with a 12-0 run to lead 105-79 after Peyton Watson dunked it with 6:15 left in regulation.
The Mavericks subbed out Marshall for Brandon Williams with 4:12 remaining in regulation, trailing by a 19-point margin.
Denver Nuggets Dominated the Boards
Among the Mavericks’ takeaways from this two-game mini-series against the Nuggets was a clear need to regain an edge on the glass. The team felt there wasn’t nearly enough physicality to handle Denver. However, Dallas’ poor shooting night on Tuesday certainly contributed to the Nuggets grabbing 40 defensive rebounds and holding a 51-30 edge in the overall rebounding category.
“Just the physicality,” Kidd said. “We missed some shots, too. We got guys that are not shooting the ball well right now. So it’s not just one guy. It’s not just two guys. We got quite a few guys that we got to get the ball going straight.”
The Mavericks intend to review how they can get some of their role players going again, considering how successful offense leads to more energy on the defensive end. Kidd emphasized creating easy shots to build this rhythm but pointed out how Denver, particularly DeAndre Jordan, punished them on the offensive glass.
“We’ll talk about that tomorrow and try to put those guys in a position to make a couple of easy ones to get their confidence back,” Kidd explained. “The energy, anytime that ball goes in the hoop, the energy rises on the defensive end, but the physicality of rebounding [DeAndre] Jordan, again, tonight dominated the offensive glass for them.”
Gafford admitted that his physicality wasn’t where it needed to be in these two matchups against Denver. Considering Lively’s injury status, the Mavericks will need as much as they can get from Gafford on the second night of a back-to-back.
“Pretty much just physicality. That’s it,” Gafford said. “Especially with these last two games, not at all. Lack of effort on my end. I got to be better to be able to bring energy to the team because that’s my job.”
Irving’s Injury Management Key for Dallas Mavericks’ Future
Irving returned to the court after a five-game absence caused by a bulging disc in his back. He revealed that this condition had been challenging and new for him. Irving expressed relief over his improved health but acknowledged the need for careful management.
“My back felt a lot better,” Irving said. “The last almost two weeks have sucked, to be real. I haven’t really had any back troubles before, so when I got the MRI back and found out it was a bulging disc, I spoke to a few experts, some of my teammates, and some of the guys on our coaching staff who have dealt with surgery or the maintenance of that.”
Irving described the discomfort he faced before his return and emphasized the importance of maintaining his physical health with the support of the Mavericks’ medical staff.
“It’s a bulging disc in your back,” Irving said. “You just got to do your best to manage it. It’s not to the point where it’s bad enough where I need surgery, which I’m grateful to God. But I have the support of our medical staff. Just being smart about it. That’s it. Not being too cautious.”
Despite the team’s overall struggles against the Nuggets, Irving was optimistic about regaining his rhythm and playing shape as he continued to adjust to the season’s demands.
“I’m most likely going to play tomorrow and give it a go,” Irving said of the Mavericks’ upcoming matchup against the Pelicans. “And just keep trying to get my rhythm and get back in game shape. And go from there.”
Looking Ahead
The Mavericks will aim to bounce back as they conclude their back-to-back with a matchup against the Pelicans on Wednesday night. Kidd emphasized the importance of quickly shifting focus and learning from Tuesday’s loss.
“It’s 82 games, and we play tomorrow in New Orleans,” Kidd said. “We’ll talk about what we need to do for New Orleans in the pregame. This game is over. There’s nothing we can do. We can just learn from it as we get healthy.”
Irving echoed the need for resilience, emphasizing patience as the team works to find its rhythm amidst injuries and lineup changes.
“It’s not going to be a perfect season,” Irving said. “So everybody at home, stop expecting that. We’re in the middle of it, and we’re dealing with it. We’re doing the best we can, and we just got to stick together.”
Gafford added that while the team has faced its share of challenges, the focus remains on staying united and improving day by day.
“Just a bit of a rough patch that we’re going through,” Gafford said. “We’re trying to figure it out as the days go by. We’re a good team where we try to keep each other motivated, keep each other encouraged. So we’re just taking it one day at a time, one game at a time.”
With Lively likely sidelined after spraining his ankle on Tuesday, Dallas will rely on Gafford and others to step up in his absence. Irving’s continued adjustment after his return will also play a crucial role as the Mavericks try to snap out of their recent struggles.
The Mavericks and Pelicans will tip off at 7 p.m. CST.
