Mavericks Edge Out Nuggets in a Thriller, 131-130

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In a game that lived up to its heavyweight billing, the Dallas Mavericks fended off a furious second-half rally to defeat the Denver Nuggets 131–130 last night at the American Airlines Center.

The contest featured a battle of tactical extremes: Dallas jumped out to a massive 21-point lead in the first half, only for Denver to roar back with a 47-point third quarter. Here is how the thriller unfolded.

The Lead Story: The “Cooper Flagg” Game

While the league is used to Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic stealing the headlines, last night belonged to Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg. The first-overall pick turned in the best performance of his young career, finishing with 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists.

Flagg was clinical down the stretch. He buried a clutch step-back three to give Dallas a 126–121 lead with three minutes remaining and then assisted on a Naji Marshall corner triple that pushed the lead to six with just over a minute left. His 33 points matched a career high and made him one of the only teenagers in NBA history (joining LeBron James and Luka Doncic) to post a 30/9/9 stat line.

Key Performers

Anthony Davis (DAL): Continuing his monster season, Davis provided the interior muscle Dallas needed, racking up 31 points and 9 rebounds. His ability to bother Jokic in the paint during the final minute was the defensive anchor Dallas required.
Nikola Jokic (DEN): The Joker was his usual brilliant self, nearly willing Denver to a comeback with 29 points and 14 assists. However, Dallas successfully limited his rebounding, holding him to a season-low 7 boards.
Jamal Murray (DEN): Coming off a hot shooting night against Utah, Murray stayed locked in, matching Jokic’s 31 points and 14 assists.
Tim Hardaway Jr. (DEN): Playing against his former team, Hardaway Jr. was a flame-thrower off the bench, hitting seven 3-pointers and finishing with 23 points.

The Heartbeat Finish

After trailing by as many as 21 in the second quarter, Denver took their first lead of the game (106–103) early in the fourth. The teams traded buckets in a frantic final three minutes until Dallas held a 131–130 lead with 7.8 seconds left.

After forcing the Mavericks into a 24-second shot-clock violation, the Nuggets had one final chance to win. Jokic drew a quadruple-team in the paint and found a wide-open Peyton Watson in the left corner. Watson’s three-point attempt looked perfect as it left his hands, but it rimmed out at the buzzer, sealing the Dallas victory.

Stat of the Night

11: The number of consecutive road games the Nuggets had won before last night. The Mavericks’ victory snapped the longest active road winning streak in the NBA.