The Denver Nuggets leaned on a dominant offensive night from Jamal Murray and a historic playmaking performance from Nikola Jokic to defeat the Dallas Mavericks 142-135 on Wednesday night at Ball Arena.
Denver secured its fourth straight victory and improved to 46-28, moving into a tie with the Minnesota Timberwolves for fourth place in the Western Conference standings.
Murray delivered one of the best scoring performances of the season, finishing with a season-high 53 points on 19-of-28 shooting.
The Denver guard also knocked down 9-of-14 attempts from three-point range and added six rebounds and four assists in 41 minutes.
His career high remains 55 points, but Wednesday’s outing marked his most efficient scoring night of the season.
Murray set the tone early with 33 points in the first half while shooting 11-of-16 from the field.
During one stretch before halftime, the Canadian guard scored 14 consecutive points to keep the Nuggets’ offense in rhythm.
Jokic complemented the scoring barrage with a historic all-around performance. The Serbian center recorded 23 points, 21 rebounds and a season-high 19 assists while orchestrating Denver’s offense.
Denver’s offense remained balanced throughout the night, finishing with 36 assists and shooting 56 percent from the field.
The Nuggets also converted 19-of-38 three-point attempts, stretching Dallas’ defense across the perimeter.
Despite the offensive surge, the game tightened late in the fourth quarter.
Dallas trimmed an 11-point deficit to 127-126 with 4:20 remaining, forcing Denver to execute in the half court.
The Mavericks had an opportunity to tie the score moments later but missed two free throws with 3:58 left. Denver capitalized immediately after that sequence.
Jokic responded with an eight-foot floater, then assisted Peyton Watson for a corner three-pointer.
Murray followed with a three-pointer and a step-back jumper from 19 feet, pushing the lead to 138-128 and effectively sealing the win.
Dallas received strong production from rookie Cooper Flagg, who finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Naji Marshall added 22 points, while P.J. Washington recorded 19 points and 15 rebounds.
The Mavericks shot 49 percent from the field and finished with 31 assists, but defensive stops proved difficult against Denver’s efficient offense.
Dallas has now lost five straight games and 24 of its last 28 contests, dropping to 23-50 on the season.
The Nuggets built separation late in the third quarter when Jokic scored six points and recorded three assists in the final 2:51 of the period. That sequence pushed Denver’s lead to 111-100 entering the fourth quarter.
Denver will return to Ball Arena on Friday to host the Utah Jazz. Dallas continues its road trip Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
