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    • Denver Nuggets survive Kyrie Irving’s barrage to beat Dallas Mavericks 122-120
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    Denver Nuggets survive Kyrie Irving’s barrage to beat Dallas Mavericks 122-120

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    The Denver Nuggets came into tonight looking to take their five-game homestand. On their way was the reigning Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks were missing several key rotation players, but no one told Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving they would lose. Kyrie had a mindless shooting night while Luka had a somehow uneventful 24/9/9 line. Nikola Jokic was anything but quiet at the other end with another monstrous triple double. The game came down to the final possession, but the Nuggets find a way and end up perfect on their homestand with a 122-120 victory.

    The Mavericks were a little cold to start the game and that left Michael Porter Jr. led a rally and took an early lead. Jamal Murray also chipped in as the Mavs shot plenty of threes that found iron. They started attacking the basket more and that, combined with some sloppy play from the Nuggets, put Dallas in a position to close the gap. Porter stayed hot midway through the quarter and rebuilt Denver’s lead after a timeout. They maintained a nearly double-digit lead going into the final quarter, with the Subs reporting. On the Dallas side, Irving did the most damage. Jokic also had a great quarter, but the Nuggets got a little sloppy in the end and only led 35-29 after one.

    Jokic started the second quarter on the bench and the game was very dysfunctional. Lots of turnover and missed opportunities. It wasn’t a great few minutes for Zeke Nnaji, who looked lost in defense and more than once resulted in his man getting an easy chance under the bucket. The Mavs came back to tie the game with the bench struggling and Michael Malone took a timeout. They still struggled to get out of the TO, but rallied to take the lead back before Jokic checked back in at halftime. Denver then held serve, with Jokic taking care of everything and setting up his teammates. As they went down the stretch, they got a little out of control as the referees swallowed their whistles. That allowed Dallas to regain the lead and at the half the Mavs led 63-60.

    Denver hit some shots to start the second half, but also continued to make defensive mistakes. Daniel Gafford in particular always seemed to be right under the basket with no one defending him. Christian Braun started playing a two-man game with Jokic that paid off, but at the other end he struggled mightily to stay in front of Irving who torched Denver. Jokic delivered a triple double midway through the third with the Nuggets still trailing in possession. There wasn’t much offense in the third outside of Jokic, but Irving went to the bench for a rest and Luka didn’t make many shots, so Denver got back in front by a few points. Jokic and the Booth Boys continued to pay dividends and helped Denver build their lead. Luka responded, but Denver continued to play at a high pace to stay ahead. After three, the Nuggets led 97-94.

    To start the fourth, Jokic was out while Irving was in and Kyrie was absolutely unconscious. He got the lead back for Dallas and an early timeout in the fourth quarter from Malone. The bench group held on for dear life as Irving continued to make threes until Jokic came back in at 7:30. Murray got his shot and gained momentum on Denver’s side. After a nice move to get a mid-range jumper, he signaled for Jason Kidd to take a timeout with Denver in the lead, and Kidd obliged. However, Kyrie wasn’t about to let Denver get the win easily and just kept turning out the lights. The Nuggets stars responded and the game headed to a tight end. Luka started running to tie the game and then Kyrie got a mid-range jumper with a hand to the face to put Dallas up by two. That was the lead with one minute to play. Denver fed Jokic for a bucket, then Watson had another unreal block to set up the Nuggets for a chance to win. Porter hit a midrange floater to give the Nuggets a two-point lead with six seconds left. Irving got a three with Braun’s hand in his face at the buzzer and ultimately missed. Denver wins a nail-biter 122-120.

    Jokic vs. Kyrie in a matchup of superstars

    Jokic has put together another ridiculous stat line. He scored thirty-seven points, grabbed eighteen rebounds and handed out fifteen assists. As coach Maoone said in his post-match press conference, we’re starting to run out of superlatives to describe the man. He’s just on a different level than everyone else on the field. On the other hand, Kyrie was also absolutely insane tonight. There was no way he could miss a shot. Braun couldn’t stop him, Watson couldn’t stop him, no one could stop him. Denver played great defense on most of its shots, but it just didn’t matter. The Nuggets ultimately get the win, but the limit for Irving tonight for an incredible performance.

    The Booth Boys are real

    November 10, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) collides with Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory credits: Ron Chenoy-Imagn images

    We got a combination of Jokic + Braun, Watson & Strawther tonight and as is often the case, that lineup injected energy into the game and solid defense. All three young wings had their moments as well. Strawther knocked down some big threes and had some big defensive stops, Braun had a great run with Jokic early in the third and Watson has suddenly become a knockdown three-point shooter who saves games through superstars with the fingertips on a regular basis to block. These guys seem to be growing game by game and Denver’s wings look like they will be on lockdown for the foreseeable future.

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