The Denver Nuggets have won their second consecutive away game. Led by an outstanding Jamal Murray, Denver beat the Dallas Mavericks 118-109 to celebrate their third win in a row, still without Nikola Jokic. Meanwhile, the Mavs have to worry about Cooper Flagg.
Murray once again took charge offensively, scoring 33 points on 13/24 shooting from the field, along with five assists. It was already the guard’s 12th game of the season with at least 30 points. He was supported by Aaron Gordon, who contributed 22 points with high efficiency (8/12 FG), and Peyton Watson, who had 18 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Denver controlled the game for long stretches and led by 23 points at one point, but let the Mavericks come back in the final quarter.
Decisive run after brief Dallas comeback
Dallas cut the deficit to five points at the start of the fourth quarter before a three-pointer by Tim Hardaway sparked a 13-2 run by the Nuggets. Murray put the finishing touches on this phase with another three-pointer to make it 101-85. Although the Mavericks closed the gap to six points in the final minutes, Murray with a jumper and Gordon from the free throw line sealed the victory.
Flagg injured
A bitter moment in the game occurred in the second quarter: Cooper Flagg, the number one draft pick, twisted his ankle during a defensive play and suffered an ankle injury to his left foot. The 19-year-old returned shortly before halftime but did not play in the second half. Flagg finished the game with six points in 15 minutes.
In addition, Daniel Gafford was sidelined in the second half with another injury. The Mavericks were already without Anthony Davis (hand injury, approximately six weeks out) and other injured players.
Dallas made only 5 of 34 three-pointers, setting a season low (14.7%). Naji Marshall led the Mavericks with 24 points, while Brandon Williams added 20 points. Denver, on the other hand, remains stable even without Jokic: the win improves their record to 28-13, puts them in second place in the West, and was their sixth win in nine games without the three-time MVP.
