NBA: Denver gets back in the win column by dominating Dallas in a monster home win
Denver, Colorado - The Denver Nuggets routed the Dallas Mavericks in a huge blowout win on Friday night, avoiding a three-game skid in the process.
The Nuggets dropped the Mavs in a big way, winning 106-75 to snap Dallas’ three-game winning streak.
Denver’s best player wasn’t playing at his top form, but he and the rest of his team definitely got the job done against one of the Western Conference’s better teams at this point of the regular season.
Their defense came through also, allowing the Mavs to lead for only the first 17 seconds of the entire game. They were held to as little as 31 points in the second half on their way to an embarrassing loss.
The Mavs simply couldn’t take advantage of a banged-up Nuggets squad, as they played with a virtually non-existent game plan and got held in check through much of the game.
The player spotlight
The NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player, Nikola Jokic (26), put in a gutsy effort on Friday night.
While he’s been recently dealing with a bruised right knee, he waited until just before game time to be allowed to suit up for the game.
While he wasn’t the Nuggets’ leading scorer, his presence on the boards made a difference in Denver’s big win.
Jokic finished the game with five successful shots out of nine attempts for 11 points, 16 rebounds, and eight assists.
The big picture
While Jokic was in the game, he helped the Nuggets take absolute control around the basket as part of their 50-22 scoring advantage in the paint.
And he did it with a hurt knee, something that can considerably hamper the bigger guys in the league.
If Denver can take down a team that sits higher than them in the conference standings in these circumstances, things can only get better as their star man nears 100% again.On Saturday, the Nuggets are on the road to face the Timberwolves while the Mavericks head home to play host to the Kings on Sunday.
Cover photo: IMAGO/Agencia EFE