Jamal Murray exploded for a season-high 53 points while Nikola Jokić posted 23 points, 21 rebounds, and a season-high 19 assists to lead the Nuggets past the Mavericks 142-135 on Wednesday night.
Murray, who scored 33 points in the first half, was 11 of 16 from the field early and poured in 14 straight points in one stretch. Jokic, meanwhile, reached a career milestone by recording his 6,000th assist when he fed Murray for a layup with 4:56 left in the second quarter. The Nuggets’ dominant duo helped Denver secure its fourth straight win, improving to 46-28 and tying Minnesota for fourth in the Western Conference — holding the tiebreaker with a season series sweep over the Timberwolves.
Dallas mounted a charge in the third quarter, cutting a 13-point deficit to 93-92, and later trimmed an 11-point fourth-quarter lead to 127-126 with 4:20 remaining. But Denver closed the game on a decisive 11-2 run. Jokic scored on a floater, assisted Peyton Watson for a corner 3, and Murray added a 3-pointer and a 19-foot step-back jumper to extend the lead to 138-128.
Murray finished 19 of 28 from the field and hit 9 of 14 three-pointers, just two points shy of his career high of 55. Jokic nearly recorded a triple-double, narrowly missing 20 assists.
For Dallas, rookie Cooper Flagg scored 26 points and Naji Marshall added 22. The Mavericks have now lost five straight games and 24 of 28 since late January.
Up next: The Mavericks visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, while the Nuggets host the Utah Jazz the same night.