Dallas Mavericks still can’t find their way after the trade deadline and the last defeat at the hands of Denver Nuggets evidence that they are a long way from being able to compete for anything in the West. Luka Doncic missed Kyrie Irvingwho did not play, falling at the hands of Nikola Jokic in a duel without much history by 118 to 109.
In the second quarter, the locals had already opened enough of a gap to certify the victory and after the break they only had to manage the difference and be constant. Another sensational performance from Doncic was useless, who went to the 34 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals with a 54.5% success rate. More when the rest of the starters only added 21 combined goals. The Mavs’ comeback attempt in the last round fell short and Jason Kidd’s men suffered their third consecutive defeat that makes them look closely at the Play-In zone.
😓 Another great performance by Luka Doncic without reward
▪️ 34 points
▪️ 9 assists
▪️ 4 robberies❌ Defeat by 118 to 109 vs. Denver Nuggets
Highlights and best moments of @luka7doncic pic.twitter.com/aLHB56VJeR
— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 España 🇪🇸 (@sportingnewses) February 16, 2023
The Nuggets, for their part, showed why they are the most regular and consistent team in the Western Conference. Without Jamal Murray present Nikola Jokic He returned to lead with a triple-double, his 21st this season, increasing his unbeaten record when he achieved one this season (21-0 mark). The Serbian won the Balkan duel with a splendid night and a very high level of play. With 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assistshe Joker He acted as the helm in the game for the locals to add the 3rd in a row for the Nuggets. However, Denver’s leading scorer was a Jeff Green who took advantage of the poor rival second unit to finish with 24 goals with a 68.8% success rate in just 25 minutes.
An important setback for the Mavs who do not finish hitting the key and go to the All-Star break with a balance of 31-29. With the middle zone of the West in full swing, Jason Kidd’s men have no margin for error.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nugget: resultado final
| Equipment | 1C | 2c | 3c | 4C | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mavericks | 25 | 19 | 30 | 35 | 109 |
| Nuggets | 26 | 35 | 31 | 26 | 118 |
Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets: resumen y highlights
114-98 (3:00) — the Mavs have tried with all their might but the result is already insurmountable. Movement on the benches to remove the headlines and leave the game seen for judgment. Doncic leaves with 34 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals in a new loss for Dallas.
91-101 (7:08) – Christian Wood is on a roll and is the first Mavs player to ignite on offense in the entire game outside of Doncic. The former Rockets appeared with two triples and brought his personal account to 15.
Big 3️⃣ for C Wood 🎯 pic.twitter.com/iaZ740FcxU
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 16, 2023
85-97 (9:23) – 9-0 run for the Mavericks with their second unit in command, through triples by Hardy and Wright and a 2+1 by Wood. Dallas finds one more little hope to stay in the game.
The last quarter started.
End of the third quarter: Even with this period, Denver managed to stay, extending its lead on the scoreboard to 18 points after Doncic’s failure on the last possession. Jeff Green was a major player in this, with nine points in his entry for the final four minutes. The veteran is already the second leading scorer for the Nuggets with 18 points.
62-81 (3:36) – Denver is quite happy to score points by attacking the inside zone, something Dallas failed to stop the entire game. There are already 36 points for the Nuggets in the paint, with easy conversions like Jeff Green’s recently on the fast break. In this way, the locals are causing a lot of damage to Dallas.
54-68 (8:18) – Dallas still has to lean on Doncic to try to come out on top, but for now at least it helps stop the bleeding against the Nuggets.
Defense leads to offense 👌 pic.twitter.com/66Ndyd9exn
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 16, 2023
The third quarter began.
End of second quarter: Denver Nuggets win 61-44 after a third quarter in which they crushed Dallas from start to finish. Jokic’s double at the buzzer gave the score even more justice, with some Mavericks barely surviving because of Doncic’s 23 points: the rest of his teammates accumulate 9-29 from the field.
37-54 (2:03) – Maximum advantage of 17 points for the Nuggets, now with a Jokic who is beginning to be more incisive. Malone’s men control the game in all its facets: midfield, counterattacking, fighting for rebounds…
35-46 (4:31) – The stars of both teams returned and nothing changes from what was seen before: Dallas players not named Doncic are still unable to score and the Nuggets remain in front for a dozen without so much direct incidence from Jokic, from 3 points and 2 assists to now.
31-41 (6:48) – The game is going through a more erratic phase at this time. Jason Kidd used his chance to review a referee’s decision on a foul called on Dwight Powell, but was unsuccessful and the Canadian racked up his second offence.
27-37 (9:05) – Denver has another great run in favor: 11-2 in the first three minutes of the second period, crushing a Dallas that has no answer without Doncic.
The second quarter began.
End of the first quarter: Dallas reacted in the final minutes thanks to an impressive Doncic: the Slovenian scored 10 more points, accumulated 17 of his team’s 25 and now the Mavericks only lost by one point. The impact of a Denver attack that slowed down since MPJ’s departure was also felt.
LD with the fadeaway 🪣 pic.twitter.com/VXjlZgyUpk
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 16, 2023
12-19 (4:25) – Denver continues to extend their difference, very orderly with the handling of the ball and with Porter and Cancar opportune to hurt in attack. Doncic has 7 points, but even then Dallas can’t stay close to the locals.
Smooth bucket pic.twitter.com/vlzb5Mzcss
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) February 16, 2023
7-12 (7:28) – Denver’s 7-0 run, still without points from Jokic but with the Serbian worried about finding Michael Porter Jr. who already scored 5 points.
7-5 (9:13) – Initial advantage for the Mavericks in a game that for now has more speed than hits.
The match started!
Welcome to the Ball Arena, the stadium that is the home of the Denver Nuggets and where Nikola Jokic’s men will host Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks tonight.
With just over an hour to go before the game, it was confirmed that Kyrie Irving will not play the game due to a back problem. Yes, Justin Holiday will be there, in his debut with the Dallas Mavericks.
First day ✅@JustHolla7 // #MFFL pic.twitter.com/7k8H55nqcQ
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 16, 2023
This is the last matchup of the Regular Season between the Mavericks and the Nuggets: in Dallas they shared one victory per side, while the only precedent in Denver in 2022-2023 was left by the Mavs 116-115.
In addition to Irving, the Mavericks have Tim Hardaway Jr, Maxi Kleber and Davis Bertans as casualties, three other pieces of their rotation. The Nuggets do not play Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray, Reggie Jackson and Zeke Nnaji.
Dallas Mavericks starting lineup:
Luka Doncic, Frank Ntilikina, Josh Green, Reggie Bullock y Dwight Powell.
Denver Nuggets starting lineup:
Bruce Brown, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr, Vlatko Cancar y Nikola Jokic.
The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
