Nikola Jokic, Nuggets beat Kyrie Irving-less Mavericks

Nikola Jokic had 14 factors, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his NBA-leading twenty first triple-double, Jeff Green scored a season-high 24 factors, and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Dallas Mavericks 118-109 on Wednesday night time.

Michael Porter Jr. completed with 22 factors, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 14, Vlatko Cancar added 12 and Bruce Brown 10 for the Nuggets.

Luka Doncic scored 37 factors, Christian Wood netted 17, McKinley Wright IV completed with 11 and A.J. Lawson had 10 for Dallas, which performed with out Kyrie Irving.

Irving was out with decrease again tightness, whereas Tim Hardaway Jr. missed his second straight recreation with proper hamstring tightness. Before the sport, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd mentioned Irving ought to be capable of take part within the All-Star Game on Sunday.

Denver was with out Jamal Murray (proper knee irritation) for the sixth straight recreation and Aaron Gordon (left rib contusion) for the third consecutive recreation.

The Nuggets led by one after the primary quarter however dominated the second quarter. They opened the interval on a 13-2 run, shot 69.6 % for the interval and held Dallas to 34.8 %. Denver took a 61-44 lead into the locker room after Jokic’s layup with lower than a second left.

Doncic’s 3-pointer minimize the Mavericks’ deficit to 65-52 early within the third quarter, however Caldwell-Pope answered with a jumper behind the arc. The groups traded 3-pointers shortly thereafter, however Cancar’s layup and a steal and basket by Green made it 81-62.

Doncic and Lawson hit quick jumpers and the Nuggets turned it over, however Dallas could not convert on the opposite finish.

A dunk by Green, a layup by Christian Braun and a 3-pointer from Green made it a 20-point recreation. Denver took a 92-74 lead into the fourth.

The Nuggets led 97-76 on a jumper by Ish Smith early within the fourth, however Wood’s 3-pointer capped a 12-1 run that made it a 10-point recreation. It stayed that approach for 3 minutes when Jokic fed Green for a dunk and Porter hit his fifth 3-pointer to make it 110-95 with 4:44 left.

The Mavericks by no means threatened down the stretch.

–Field Level Media/Reuters