In a fierce Western showdown at the American Airlines Center, the Dallas Mavericks fought to defend their home court from Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and the Denver Nuggets. The Mavericks, who are still without Luka Doncic, suffered a horrendous shooting night that led to a massive blowout loss, 118-99.
The Nuggets set the tone right away tonight opening the game on a 36-21 run in the first 12 minutes. The Nuggets continued their impressive display to take a 26-point lead into halftime. Despite the best efforts from the Mavericks, they were unable to close the gap with the time they had left.
For the Nuggets, Jamal Murray had his best game of the season with 45 points, 6 assists, and 2 rebounds on 18-26 shooting. Nikola Jokic finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in the frontcourt while Russell Westbrook contributed 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists as the starting point guard.
Meanwhile, for the Mavericks, Kyrie Irving led the starters with 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals on a measly 4-18 shooting. Klay Thompson totaled 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 block on 2-6 shooting from three. Off the bench, Daniel Gafford finished with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist in 19 minutes.
With a similar record and major star power on both sides, the Nuggets and Mavericks are about as evenly matched as two teams could be this year. Of course, without Luka Doncic, the Mavericks couldn’t keep up with the 2023 champions this time but you can be sure they’ll be ready for a rematch when Doncic is back in action.
Jamal Murray’s Statement Game
The Denver Nuggets only go as far as Nikola Jokic takes them, but Jamal Murray can also swing games when he’s in a good rhythm. Tonight, Murray’s red-hot shooting and consistent scoring powered the Nuggets to their convincing win and gave them some hope that he can fill the void this season.
In 37 minutes, Murray dropped 45 points, 6 assists, and 2 rebounds on 18-26 shooting. He went 5-9 from three and kept the game out of reach for the Mavericks all night. He played 37 minutes tonight, the highest of anyone on the team.
After losing Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in back-to-back summers, the Nuggets are short on firepower and their depth had never been so questionable. If Murray can step up like he did tonight on a more regular basis, it will go a long way toward restoring the team to their former glory.
Mavericks Lost The Rebounding Battle
The Mavericks’ lack of frontcourt depth was exposed tonight when starting big man Dereck Lively II left the game early to a right ankle sprain. He played just 4 minutes before exiting the game, leaving the Warriors extremely vulnerable in the frontcourt.
So as Jamal Murray was torching them from the outside, the Mavs were getting cooked on the the boards. They were outrebounded 51-30 tonight leading to various second-chance opportunities that prevented a Mavericks comeback.
Even when Luka Doncic returns, the Mavericks need to address their frontcourt rotation if they want to return to the NBA Finals this year. They can’t rely too much on Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, or it will lead to more games like today where they are bullied on the inside.
Not Enough Shooting For Dallas
Shooting is everything in the modern NBA and the teams who can hit the most threes typically win the game. That trend held tonight as the Nuggets won the game while shooting 13-29 from three.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks went 9-32 in a horrendous shooting display. Klay Thompson was the only Mavericks starter to hit a three and he only shot 2-6 in 21 minutes of play. As the 6th ranked offense in the NBA, the Mavericks are built to score a lot of points but they’re in a steep decline right now with no signs of stopping.
Even with Luka Doncic, the Mavericks struggled to get consistent scoring from their supporting cast. But without Doncic in the lineup, there’s just not enough shooting for them to keep up against the NBA’s elite teams.
It was an intense atmosphere in Dallas tonight despite it being just an ordinary regular-season game in January. But for two teams with title ambitions, their clash was must-see TV even if it did not include all of the superstars.
Tonight, we learned a lot about both teams and how they stack up in the West and against each other. For now, the Nuggets are on a much better trajectory but that can always change when Luka returns and elevates his team back to a state of contention.
The next game for the Mavericks is on Wednesday, January 15th, against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center (8:00 PM EST). Next, the Mavericks play the Oklahoma City Thunder at American Airlines Center before a showdown against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on January 20th at 12:00 PM EST.
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