Mavericks scrap out a gutsy win over the Nuggets

The Mavericks played their 24th game of the season last night in Denver. Out of the prior 23 games, the Mavericks have won 12. Thas alarmed owner Mark Cuban with several concerns going forward. One, consistency is the play of potential MVP, Luka Doncic. His stellar play has ranked him in the top 25 of three categories in the NBA (points, rebounds, assists). On Tuesday night, more of Luka was evident, but not so much the scoring Luka.

It was all about distributing the ball. Luka realized the hot hand early and went back to Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dorian Finney-Smith down the stretch in the 4th quarter. Luka ended the game with 22 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds recording his 52nd career triple double. His vision led to Tim Hardaway Jr. scoring a season-high 29 points. Dorian Finney-Smith showed an extreme flashback of the 2021-2022 season during a clutch three-point shot late in the 4th to secure the game. He ended the game with 19 points and shot 5 of 10 from three. He credits the calm approach and full support from Luka Doncic for making that late three. “Him just giving me confidence, that means a lot. I’m just happy we got the win.”

The Mavericks won their 13th game defeating the Denver Nuggets 116-115. Two-time MVP, Nikola Jokic, had a chance to tie the game with 12 seconds remaining, but unfortunately Jokic missed one of the two free throws. Nuggets’ forward, Aaron Gordon, helped with 27 points however Denver now has dropped three in a row. Several factors contributed to the loss. A total of 17 turnovers, shooting 40.6% from three-point range, and 78.6% team free throw percentage.

The Dallas Mavericks will host the Milwaukee Bucks in what seems to be a marquee matchup on Friday night, while Denver travels to Portland to challenge the Trailblazers on Thursday night.