The Denver Nuggets picked up a 142-135 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night, improving their season record to 46-28. The Nuggets occupy the No. 4 seed in the West and now sit 1.5 games behind the No. 3 seed Los Angeles Lakers. This loss helped the Mavericks worsen their record to 23-50, as they eye a top 2026 NBA Draft pick, the last year they control their own draft pick for the rest of the decade.
Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 53 points (19-28 FG, 9-14 3P, 6-6 FT), six rebounds, and four assists, while Nikola Jokic was one assist away from a historic 20-20-20 game. Jokic ended the night with 23 points (8-19 FG), 21 rebounds, and 19 assists. Peyton Watson had a strong game after his recent return from injury with 21 points (7-10 FG).
The Mavericks were led by rookie sensation Cooper Flagg’s 26 points (10-18 FG), eight rebounds, and seven assists, but it wasn’t enough in a game the Mavericks could’ve won. P.J. Washington contributed 19 points (8-15 FG) with 15 rebounds, while Naji Marshall had 22 points (7-17 FG), four rebounds, and three assists.
1. Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray Duo Is The Best In The NBA
This was yet another example that no duo in the NBA comes even close to matching what the Murray-Jokic duo can achieve together. Not only do both players serve as each other’s primary facilitator, but they also have found the perfect rhythm to co-exist while dominating opponents. This game against the Mavericks was the perfect example, as Jokic was responsible for creating 21 of Murray’s 53 points tonights while three of Murray’s four assists tonight went to Jokic.
The pair has a 125.0 offensive rating on the season while playing together, which is over five points ahead of every other NBA team this season. Murray’s ability to move off-ball and get into the perfect positions to score is why Jokic is the most prolific passer in the NBA, which also leads to Murray having incredible scoring nights. This was Murray’s first 50-point game this season.
Jokic is averaging 27.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.8 assists this season as a frontrunner for MVP, while Jamal Murray is averaging a career-high 25.4 points and is in contention to earn the first All-NBA selection of his career. This game against the Mavericks proves that there is no stopping the Nuggets if Jokic and Murray can play in-sync like they did tonight.
2. Hot Shooting Night Saved The Nuggets
Even though Jokic and Murray had impressive stat lines, it’s important to remember the team was in actual danger in the fourth quarter and could’ve lost this game. The Mavericks cut an 11-point fourth-quarter lead by the Nuggets to a single possession in the fourth quarter before Murray’s 17-point fourth quarter put the nail in the coffin. It was an overall fantastic offensive performance by Denver, although that also speaks to how poor a defensive effort this performance was.
The Nuggets shot 50-89 (56.2 FG%) from the field and 19-38 (50.0 3P%) from three in this game, one of their most efficient offensive performances of the season. This was still a game that got competitive in the fourth despite the Mavericks shooting 48-97 (49.5 FG%) and 12-35 (34.3 3P%) over the game. The reason Dallas was hovering around comeback territory was their hustle play. Dallas generated 19 points off nine Denver turnovers and scored 16 second-chance points off a 10-5 offensive rebounding advantage.
The metrics that Playoff-caliber teams are expected to win out are the areas the Nuggets lost out on, as the Mavericks made a concerted effort to spring an upset win over the Nuggets. They won’t have many high-volume three-point shooting nights with 50.0% efficiency or historic performances from Murray and Jokic, so the Nuggets need to iron out these issues in time for the Playoffs.
3. Aaron Gordon’s Absence Creates Major Defensive Issues
The Nuggets lined up without Aaron Gordon for the 43rd time this season. The franchise has a defensive rating of 115.8 when Gordon plays and a defensive rating of 119.1 without him. Tonight, the absence of an impactful frontcourt defender like him was gravely felt.
The Mavericks threw multiple forwards at the Nuggets to compensate for their lacking guard play, with P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall joining Cooper Flagg in having huge games. Peyton Watson, Cam Johnson, and Spencer Jones were inadequate at defending the Mavericks frontcourt trio as they combined for 67 points and 27 rebounds on 25-50 shooting.
Gordon has proven this season that he brings major offensive tools to the table as a floor-spacer and a vertical threat for Jokic to target, but his calling card in Denver has always been defense. He ties the offensive brilliance of Murray and Jokic together by creating a defensive structure that the Nuggets struggle to replicate in his absence. They don’t have a player like him that can plug-and-play in his absence, so the Nuggets will hope he stays healthy as the postseason nears.
4. Mavericks Core Rotation Proving They’ll Be Competitive Next Season
Even though this marked the 50th loss for the Mavericks this season, people paying close attention to the team have plenty of reasons to be excited for next season. This year served as a true developmental year for Flagg, who has averaged 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists over his rookie season. His performance tonight shows how much he’s grown already, with the remnants of the Mavericks 2024 Finals rotation now having a major on-court impact alongside Flagg after adjusting to his style of play over the season.
The performances of forwards like Washington and Marshall show that not only can they play off Flagg as a primary ball-handler, but they can also continue impacting the game on the defensive end. Adding a top 2026 draft pick and Kyrie Irving to this rotation should signal a return to competitive times for the Mavericks, whose draft pick next season is owed to the Charlotte Hornets.
Games like tonight are important in the development of a tanking team. The Mavericks’ core remembers the winning performances they had to put out to make the NBA Finals, with that effort peeking through in this game. Hopefully, the franchise can make the right offseason adjustments to give their fans a competitive team to root for next season after they get their postseason fix by watching Luka Doncic and the Lakers.
