The Denver Nuggets (23-21) took care of business at home Tuesday night as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks (15-30) 105-102.
The Nuggets started the game in a rather sluggish manner by turning the ball over in their first possession as Dallas opened the game with a 6-0 run. From there, the Mavericks held strong throughout the entirety of the opening quarter as Denver’s miscues allowed them to settle into a groove early in the game.
The Nuggets turned the ball over five times in the first quarter but managed to pick up their play as the period progressed largely from the performance of cornerstones Nikola Jokic and Gary Harris. The duo combined for 22 of Denver’s 30 first-quarter points to pair with three assists. A Will Barton buzzer-beater three-point shot ended the quarter with a score of 30-27 to give the Nuggets their first lead of the game.
After scoring five straight points to end the first quarter, Barton was riding momentum into the second period as he lead the charge for the Nuggets on offense. Denver blitzed Dallas from the get-go by going on a 10-4 run to open the quarter which extended their lead to 40-31. After a Mavericks timeout, the Nuggets continued to play with high intensity, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Seemingly at the flip of a switch, Denver pressured Dallas all quarter, and as a result, they entered halftime with a 61-48 lead. The Nuggets forced a number of highly-contested shots which resulted in Dallas shooting just 37.5% percent from the field in the quarter.
The Nuggets second quarter dominance carried over to the third quarter as Denver managed to score 25 points to establish a 17 point lead by the end of the sequence. Harris, Jokic, and Barton continued their stretch of impressive play as they tallied 17 of Denver’s 25 points.
Dallas managed to close the gap to single digits late in the fourth quarter, but Denver was able to muster up enough will on both sides of the ball to lock things down and solidify the victory.
Tuesday’s win was a big one for the Nuggets who entering the contest were 4-6 in their last 10 games and in grave danger of falling out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference. Jokic and Harris helped get Denver back on track ahead of their primetime TV matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers, a team Denver is neck-and-neck with in the standings.
Jokic finished with a double-double as he logged 29 points and 18 rebounds. Gary Harris also ended with an impressive stat line as he posted 25 points and four assists.
Wednesday’s contest against the Clippers will broadcast on ESPN with tipoff set for 8:30 MST.
