3 Studs, 2 duds in Mavericks' first loss of the season to Nuggets

The Dallas Mavericks lost their first game of the season against the reigning NBA Champions, the Denver Nuggets.

The Mavs went down early but remained within striking distance during the entirety of the game.

The Mavericks scored 114, the most on the Denver defense this year, but allowed 125 points. Dallas shot 47.7 percent from the floor, 40.5 percent from three, and 88.2 percent from the free-throw line.

3 studs, 2 duds in Mavericks' first loss of the season in Denver

Despite playing an efficient brand of basketball, the Mavs were demolished in the rebound battle. Denver out-rebounded Dallas 51-34.

Only the second time Dallas has lost the rebounding battle this year and the first time the Mavs haven't corraled more than 40 rebounds in a game.

Dishonorable Mention: The Dallas defense

First of all, allowing 100 points after three quarters doesn't equate to many wins. And allowing 125 total in any game is difficult to overcome.

The Mavs average the third most points in the association at 122.5, but the remarkable Dallas average is less than what they gave up tonight. No matter how hot the offense is, the defense must play better.

After scoring 40 points in the opening quarter, the Nuggets never looked back as they seemed to get whatever look they wanted. To make matters worse, the Nuggets grabbed 19 offensive rebounds. No matter if they missed their first look, it was likely they'd get another chance to put the ball through the net.

The catalyst behind the Nuggets' superb shooting was no other than two-time MVP, Nikola Jokic. The Dallas defense had no answer for the Joker. The Mavs defended Jokic with 6-foot-6 Grant Williams and rookie center Dereck Lively II.

Jokic posted up and shot over whenever Williams defended him. And while Jokic can't shoot as easily over the 7-foot-1 Lively II, he used his intelligent offense play and strength to score around the rim.

Dishonorable Mention: The Nuggets' Court

Tonight, NBA fans viewed the In-Season Tournament courts for the first time. Before today, fans had just received a glimpse of each court. And the reception was less than stellar.

Now, after watching a full contest, the consensus is that fans are still displeased. The bright-blue Denver court with a massive 5280, referencing Denver's altitude, isn't the most aesthetically pleasing nor easy on the eyes.

Not all In-Season Tournament courts will be as distracting as the Nuggets. For instance, the Dallas court is gray, which will surely look better than the bright blue sea we witnessed in Denver.

5. Stud - Josh Green

Josh Green was one of five Mavs to generate a positive plus/minus. And one of two Mavs, besides Jaden Hardy, who generated a positive plus/minus while playing more than 10 minutes in the contest.

The Australian swingman played his best game of the season. He recorded a season-high in points, rebounds, and 3-pointers made. Green looked more confident shooting off the catch and moving without the ball.

He drained three spot-up 3-pointers and looked decisive when he launched his other two attempts. And besides the improved offense, he was one of few Mavs flying around and active on the defensive end.

Green recorded two steals, his second game this season with multiple thefts. Also, while other Mavs spent time arguing calls, Green immediately got back on defense, attempting to stop the break.

He stayed in front of his man and blocked off driving lanes. Green forced his matchup to take tough shots or give up the ball. If only Green was big enough to defend Jokic.

4. Dud - Dereck Lively II

Nikola Jokic is the best center in the NBA. It's not even up for debate, despite Joel Embiid's dominance in the East. This matchup was Lively II's first real test as the Dallas defensive anchor before he gets his shot at Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo later this month.

In this contest, Grant Williams began the game defending Jokic, but Lively II did get his shot at defending the Serbian superstar later on.

It seemed Dallas used Lively II rather as a backline anchor. Whenever Jokic caught the ball, the Mavs sent an additional defender to get the ball out of Jokic's hands. Thus, Jokic would look to pass to the open player.

After the next player had received the ball, the Dallas defense was tasked with a quick rotation. Lively II roamed the interior and found his way onto plenty of different players with this approach.

However, the former Blue Devil didn't make much of a difference in this defensive approach. He only recorded three defensive rebounds and blocked one shot in nearly 25 minutes of game time.

On the offensive end was no better. Lively II didn't touch the ball often and only shot three times, making two of them. It was surprising to see Lively II's lack of involvement coming off a six assist game against the Chicago Bulls.

3. Stud - Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving returned to action after a two-game absence. He missed both games due to a foot injury but didn't show any signs of injury as he played 35 minutes against the Nuggets.

Irving scored 22 points, dished out seven assists, recorded four steals, and blocked two shots. Additionally, Irving shot 9-of-15 from the floor. His best shooting performance this season.

Despite shooting 1-of-5 from 3-point range, Irving still had success on offense. He consistently broke down the defense, knocked down mid-range jumpers, and dished to the open man whenever he couldn't get off a favorable look.

And even better for Dallas, Irving was locked in on defense. His six stocks (steals and blocks), were a season-high. Defending Jamal Murray is not easy, but Irving did his best Jrue Holiday impression. Murray shot 5-of-15 from the floor, his second-worst shooting performance of the season.

This is arguably the best defensive game Irving has had since being on the Mavs, and he played great off and on the ball. He was anticipating passes, stealing the ball as the help defender, and flying around the court. Irving typically isn't known as the best defender, but he showed what an elite defensive performance looks like on Friday night.

A strong offensive and defensive showing is exactly what Mavs fans wanted to see. Going forward, it'd be nice to see Irving play more aggressively.

2. Dud - Tim Hardaway Jr.

Tim Hardaway Jr. didn't have a terrible game by any means, but it was certainly his worst game of the year. This was the first time Hardaway Jr. didn't score in the double digits.

Also, it was Hardaway Jr.'s first time not making multiple 3-pointers. He only shot the ball eight times from the floor and five times from distance.

The sharpshooter's best attribute is his microwave-scoring ability. Without the high-volume shooting, Hardaway Jr. is just a guy on the court. He played nearly 27 minutes but was an afterthought for much of the second half.

During the ever-important final quarter, Hardaway Jr. played seven minutes and only took one shot. A 3-pointer that he missed.

Sure, Hardaway Jr. is a fantastic floor-spacer who opens up the floor for the remaining players on the court. But why not play Derrick Jones Jr. in crucial moments as he has displayed the ability to knock down 3-pointers while also playing good defense.

Hardaway Jr. is one of the worst defenders on the team, and when he isn't making his shots, he doesn't bring much value to the floor. It was puzzling that he was playing with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving during the attempted comeback, as Dallas needed defense and rebounding badly.

Games like this are why fans get frustrated with Hardaway Jr., and are likely a reason that he was in trade rumors this summer.

1. Stud - Luka Doncic

Luka Doncic was almost named a dud in this article. He turned the ball over nine times, got caught playing lazy defense, and argued numerous calls.

His argumentative ways hurt the Dallas defense. There were several times when Doncic would argue with a referee over a controversial call on offense, completely neglecting his responsibilities as a defender. This is something that Doncic did often last year and this summer in the FIBA World Cup, but has been much better about it this year (until Friday's game against Denver).

On the bright side, Doncic still did Luka Doncic things. He recorded 34 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. He knocked down six 3-pointers on a 54.5 percent clip. And despite a history of mediocre free-throw shooting, he made 6-of-7 freebies.

Doncic kept the Mavericks relatively close throughout the entirety of the game. He scored whenever the offense went stale and knocked down plenty of tough shots.

The Nuggets hadn't allowed more than 110 points in a contest this year. Behind Doncic's superb scoring and sensational passing, he continuously broke down the Denver defense to get himself and others good looks.

Doncic seems to be well on his way to a top-3 MVP finish. And perhaps more of a sure thing, Doncic is an early frontrunner for NBA Clutch Player of the Year.

Dallas' next game is on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets at home. For all the latest on Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and the Dallas Mavericks this season, stay tuned.