Luka Doncic contributed 37 points, while Kyrie Irving made a left-handed floater at the buzzer, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 107-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets. This win halted the Nuggets’ five-game winning streak.
Denver (47-21) staged a comeback from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter, taking a 105-102 lead. However, Luka Doncic’s 3-pointer tied the game with 25 seconds remaining. Dallas (39-29) then called a timeout after Jamal Murray’s unsuccessful shot on Denver’s last possession, setting up Kyrie Irving’s game-winning shot.
Irving finished with 24 points and nine assists for Dallas, which recorded a season-high 22 offensive rebounds. Dereck Lively II had 14 points and eight rebounds, and P.J. Washington Jr. grabbed 11 rebounds.
In the fourth quarter, Jamal Murray showcased his scoring prowess by contributing 12 of his total 23 points, leading the charge for the Nuggets.
Michael Porter Jr. also made a significant impact with 20 points, while Nikola Jokic had a strong all-around performance with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.
Aaron Gordon added 11 points, and contributions from Christian Braun and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with 10 points each further bolstered Denver’s offensive effort.
Doncic returned after missing one game with left hamstring soreness and scored with 6:50 left in the contest to give the Mavericks a 98-85 lead.
Murray’s floater capped a 15-3 run and cut the deficit to 101-100 with 1:51 remaining. After Doncic made one of two free throws, Jokic scored on Denver’s next possession and Murray hit a 3-pointer with 28 seconds left to put the Nuggets ahead 105-102.
Dallas trailed 34-30 at the end of the first quarter despite outscoring the Nuggets 20-10 on points in the paint. Porter had 12 points in the period.
Luka Doncic scored 23 points in the first half, showcasing his skill with back-to-back 3-pointers that gave Dallas a 46-44 lead with 6:30 remaining in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray struggled, shooting a combined 4-of-18 for Denver, despite the Nuggets holding a 61-58 lead at halftime.
Dallas maintained an 84-79 lead at the conclusion of the third quarter, finishing strong with a 19-9 run. However, the Mavericks were without forward Josh Green, who is anticipated to be out for several weeks due to a right ankle sprain he sustained in Thursday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.