The Nuggets visit Dallas for a Western Conference showdown against
the Mavericks. Jamal Murray leads Denver into town while
rookie Cooper Flegg headlines the Mavs' young core. First
quarter, Jamal Murray drives straight to the rim,
finishes the layup. Murray uses that burst to get
downhill and finish through traffic. Then Mavs swing it
around PJ Washington to Najji Marshall to a cutting flag
who drops in the floater flag, setting the tone
early for the Mavs. Then flag again. Slicing
through traffic for the strong drive and finish, Flag
with 6 points in the quarter to start the game
. Murray and Flagg trading buckets. Murray drives,
stops, Banks in the jumper for the end one
. Murray sinks the free throw up to 14 points
in the quarter. Second quarter now, off the
screen, Jalen Pickett steps in and buries the 3
picket with 9 points in the game, 50% shooting
from three point land. Nuggets outrunning Tim Hardaway Jr
. pulls up in. and drills the 3.
Hardaway hits back to back triples to give Denver the
46-28 lead. Then Naji Marshall attacks downhill and finishes
the layup for the and 1. Marshall converts the
free throw, making it 46-31 Denver. Flashing to
the other end, Cooper Flagg rolls his ankle defending
the play. He would leave. He briefly returned
but would not play in the second half. Then
we'll head to Marshall again, driving, rising up
. The mid-range jumper Marshall with 15 in the first
half, finishing with 24 on the night. The
halftime score Nuggets 63, Mavs 46. Out of
the break, Ryan Neimhardt gets creative, drives baseline
, and finishes the reverse layup. Nimhart opened the
first half, starting for Flag, still a 13
point Denver lead. Then Jamal Murray drives, gets
to his spot, plants, and knocks down the
jumper. Smooth footwork for Murray to square up and
. Bury the shot. More Denver action. Aaron
Gordon drives, spins, and lays in the finger
roll. Gordon up to 22 in the game.
Denver up 19, but Mavs keep pushing. Caleb
Martin attacks the lane and hammers it home. Martin
with 15 points in the game tonight. Fourth quarter
now, PJ Washington corrals the loose ball, gets
it up, scores it, and draws the contact
. Washington misses the free throw, finishing with 12
points on the night. Then Murray quiets the crowd
, drills. The 3 on the other end to
stop the Mavs' run. Murray with 5 straight,
up to 27 in the game, but the Mavs
stay within reach. Brandon Williams drives, lays it
in to cut it to 6. Under a minute
left now. Jamal Murray puts it on ice,
shake and bake, dribble into the jumper, loses
his defender. Murray finishes with a game-high 33 points
. It's over, he says. It's over.
The Nuggets survive. They win it 118 to 109
over the Mavs.