3 Studs, 2 duds in Mavericks' blowout loss to Nuggets

The Dallas Mavericks have now lost three in a row to the defending champion Denver Nuggets. In each loss, Dallas has allowed Denever to score 118 or more points.

This time around, the Mavericks' defense was shredded to the tune of 130 Nuggets points. Denver shot 56.3 percent from the floor and 53.8 percent from beyond the arc.

And the offense was hard to come by without key contributors Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively II, and Josh Green. Dallas shot 44.6 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from distance. The Mavs were even worse from the free-throw line. Dallas shot a dreadful 47.4 percent from the charity stripe.

3 Studs, 2 duds in Mavericks' blowout loss to Nuggets

Only two Mavs scored in double-digits, Luka Doncic and Dante Exum. An abysmal offensive night made defeating a top-notch team like the Nuggets more difficult.

Although Dallas held superstar Nikola Jokic in check, the rest of the team feasted. Six Nuggets scored in double-digits, including four bench players.

While there were more duds than studs in this matchup, we'll follow the typical formula and discuss the three studs and two duds from Dallas' blowout loss against Denver.

5. Studs - Mavericks' two-way players

This is more of a shoutout to A.J. Lawson and Greg Brown III than an actual stud listing. But, both two-way players looked like potential contributors in the loss to Denver.

In 15 minutes, Lawson scored six points and recorded two rebounds. He hit a nice corner 3-pointer and demonstrated high activity levels on the defensive end.

Without Green in the fold, Lawson looks like a worthwhile contributor as an energizer. The two-way wing is an athletic 6-foot-6 forward capable of making plays on defense and using his athleticism on offense for easy buckets.

Lawson's two-way-mate, Brown III appeared in nine minutes of action against the Nuggets. He quickly made his presence felt as his breathtaking athleticism was on full display.

Although Brown III lacks any resemblance of an outside shot, his elite athleticism, and shot-blocking would add a much-needed element to the Dallas lineup, especially with Lively II out of the lineup.