Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone sits courtside with Dirk Nowitzki and Patrick Mahomes as the Mavericks storm out of American Airlines Center Court with a walk-off victory in prime time Sunday. I might have said it all about four hours ago.
“He shares the backcourt with a great player in Kyrie Irving,” Denver Nuggets coach Malone said of Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic. “Okay, I think this isn't just about Luka, it's about the Mavs and leveraging all the elements around him.”
nailed it.
Exhibit A: Doncic hit a game-winning 29-foot 3-pointer with 25 seconds left in regulation, matching the shot made by Denver's Jamal Murray just three seconds earlier. The Mavericks, who led the Nuggets by 13 points with 6:50 left in the fourth quarter, had to withstand a Denver run that tied it on Nikola Jokic's layup with 1:05 left.
And Exhibit B: After a Dallas timeout after Murray's go-ahead jump shot bounced off the front of the rim, Irving received an inbounds pass from Maxi Kleber with 2.8 seconds left in the game. He took a right corner kick, dribbled up to his elbow, entered the paint, and hit a high left hand that went over the outstretched arm of the 6-foot-11 two-time MVP, as if he'd hit the buzzer from 7 meters away. He made a floater shot and won the game. As a result, the Mavericks finished first in the West Division and defeated the current NBA champion Nuggets 107-105.
Yeah, it's amazing, no doubt about it.
Doncic, who missed Thursday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a torn left hamstring, had 23 points, 37 rebounds, nine rebounds and three assists in the first half. Irving had 24 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals. Combined, all nine of the Mavericks' 3-pointers were made.
Doncic's 3-pointer set up the Mavericks' victory. Irving's circus shot brought it about. But the Mavericks, who lost to the Nuggets 125-114 the last time the teams met in November, were in position to beat the West's best bullyball talent for the heroics of Doncic and Irving. Ta.
The Mavericks turned a halftime deficit into a five-point lead after three quarters thanks to a 9-0 run in the third quarter, but opened the final quarter with a 14-6 run. Daniel Gafford's putback for Dallas' 18th offensive rebound of the game and 21st second-chance point gave the Mavericks an 88-79 lead with 10:03 left in the fourth, the largest of the game at the time. became the lead. Jones' driving layup three minutes later gave the Reds their first double-digit advantage at 96-85, and Doncic made a layup of his own one possession later to give Dallas a 13-point lead.
The Mavericks defeated Denver 59-37, holding a 21-6 advantage on the offensive glass and a 23-6 advantage in second-chance points. Dallas players with seven or more boards included PJ Washington (11 rebounds), Doncic (nine rebounds), Derrick Jones Jr. (eight rebounds), Derek Lively II (eight rebounds) and Irving. It was
The Mavericks will be without guard Josh Green, who sprained his left ankle in Thursday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and will be out for “a few weeks,” according to Kidd. Green started 32 games this season, averaging a career-high 8.5 points and 3.2 rebounds in 26.6 minutes per game.
The Mavericks had Michael Porter Jr. (15 points), Aaron Gordon (9 points) and Jamal Murray (9 points) score, but many Dallas defenders rotated Jokic, giving him 10 points. With two successful hits, he limited himself to eight points in the first half. The scoring was sluggish in the first 2 quarters. Jokic scored 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting.
Dallas made just 4-of-17 (23.5%) 3-pointers in the first half, but trailed Denver just 61-59 at halftime after the lead changed hands 11 times in the first half. The difference at the halfway mark was determined by the whistle. The Mavericks were called for 14 fouls in the first half, and while the Nuggets made 15 of 18 free throws, the Mavericks got to the line just 10 times and attempted only eight times.
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