Dallas Mavericks: 2 studs and 1 dud in win over Nuggets

The Dallas Mavericks hosted the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 15 in a contest where they were heavily favored. They were coming off arguably their best performance of the season in a dominating win over the Spurs that featured the first triple-double of the season from superstar Luka Doncic. Kristaps Porzingis is finally hitting his stride, and the Mavs were hoping to build on it.

The Nuggets were shorthanded and on the second night of a back-to-back, but topping Denver is never easy. Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic is locked in and puts up an effortless 25 points and ten rebounds every night along with being the Nuggets top playmaker. Aaron Gordon has the size and strength to make things difficult for Luka, and Denver was not shy about doubling on Monday night.

The Mavericks trailed at the start of the fourth quarter, but they quickly grabbed the lead and never looked back in the 111-101 win. Dallas struggled in the second quarter before multiple players stepped up to grab the victory. Here is a closer look at who stood out.

2 studs and 1 dud in the Dallas Mavericks win over the Denver Nuggets

Jalen Brunson kept up his stellar play versus Denver as he finished with 17 points and six assists on Monday night. He made eight of his 12 field goals as the Mavericks outscored the Nuggets by ten in his 36 minutes of action.

Tim Hardaway Jr. caught fire in the fourth quarter as he scored 13 points to help lift Dallas to victory. He had 19 points on the night, and the Mavs were plus-14 when THJ was on the floor.

The Dallas Mavericks picked up an impressive win on Nov. 15, and here are two studs and one dud from the contest.

Dallas Mavericks stud in win over shorthanded Nuggets: 2. Luka Doncic

Luka did not have his best game on Nov. 15, but the Mavs superstar was still impressive. He raced out with ten first-quarter points as Dallas had 35 after one. They struggled in the second quarter but found their footing in the second half to pick up their ninth win of the season. Doncic running the offense was key in the Mavericks grabbing the game.

Luka helped Tim Hardaway Jr. close the show for Dallas in the fourth quarter on Monday night. The 22-year-old had seven points and made sure the Mavs finished it off with a victory. The celebration was spoiled as Luka had his ankle rolled on by Nuggets guard Austin Rivers in the final minute. Fans will have to wait for updates on the injury.

Doncic finished with 23 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, two steals, and one block in 38 minutes on Monday night. He shot just nine of 23 from the field, but Dallas outscored Denver by four points when Luka was on the floor.

Hopefully, Luka Doncic is not seriously injured, and he will be ready to play as the Dallas Mavericks head to Phoenix to face the Suns on Wednesday night. Stay tuned for more on the 22-year-old superstar as it becomes available.

Dallas Mavericks dud in win over shorthanded Nuggets: 1. Willie Cauley-Stein

Cauley-Stein only managed to play three minutes on Monday night. He kept his role as the backup center, but Trill was just on the court in the first quarter. Nikola Jokic bullied him in the paint, and WCS produced just one assist against Denver.

The center minutes for the Mavericks are in-flux at the moment. Starter Dwight Powell was limited to 18 on Nov. 15. He did produce five points, seven rebounds, and one assist, but was just two of six from the field. Dallas is having their most success playing small with KP at the five. Expect them to continue shifting to more time with the Unicorn at center.

It will be interesting to see if Willie Cauley-Stein remains in the rotation. He has played under ten minutes in five straight games but has appeared in all 13 contests thus far. Will head coach Jason Kidd go in another direction moving forward? Does Boban Marjanovic or Moses Brown get some run? It is a situation to watch moving forward.

The Dallas Mavericks could also just shift Dwight Powell to the bench and play him the remaining minutes at the five with Kristaps Porzingis starting. Maxi Kleber is not ready to return, but he could play some at center when healthy. Cauley-Stein needs to pick it up, or he will not be long for the rotation.

Dallas Mavericks stud in win over shorthanded Nuggets: 1. Kristaps Porzingis

The Mavs started the game with a KP post-up that he failed to convert, but it felt like the only miss from the Unicorn in the first three quarters. Porzingis continued to find open looks and knock them down against the Nuggets. He had ten points in the first quarter, and 29 after three.

Porzingis failed to score in the fourth quarter as Tim Hardaway Jr. got hot, but he still finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block on Monday night. KP was 11 of 20 from the field, including making five 3-pointers against the Nuggets.

Since returning from a five-game absence with a back injury, the Unicorn has produced 20-plus points in four of the five contests. It was his second straight game with 29-plus. Porzingis has been more active on the defensive end of the floor, and he is playing like the second star the Mavericks need if they plan on making a deep playoff run.

Kristaps Porzingis and the Dallas Mavericks will look to continue their hot streak on Wednesday night as they travel to Arizona to face the Phoenix Suns for two straight games. The Suns dominated the series versus Dallas last season, and it will be another test for the 2021-2022 Mavericks, so do not miss it.