After winning in New Orleans on Tuesday night, there was reason to believe that the Nuggets may more or less punt on Wednesday night, with a back-to-back road trip to Dallas. But instead, Denver didn’t rest any of their veteran players, instead going full bore to sweep the mini road trip, and they pulled it off in impressive fashion, beating the Mavericks comfortably, 118-109.
Coming into the game, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Bruce Brown, and Spencer Jones were all on the injury report, and a night off may have made some sense, but the Nuggets went for it, with all four players ultimately playing, and winning their third straight game, and fifth out of their last six.
Murray continued his outstanding run, leading the way with 33 points and 5 assists. Aaron Gordon keeps looking better and chipped in 22 points and 6 rebounds. Peyton Watson had another strong showing with 18 points and 5 rebounds, and Spencer Jones, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jalen Pickett, Bruce Brown, and Zeke Nnaji all made positive contributions as well.
The Mavericks, of course, were without Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Dereck Lively II, but they got PJ Washington back and had most of the rest of their lineup intact before losing rookie sensation, Cooper Flagg, to an ankle injury shortly before halftime.
Nuggets proving they are top-tier title contenders
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A win over these Mavericks on its own isn’t anything to write home about, but this feels like something bigger. The Nuggets had been 5-3 without Nikola Jokic, drastically overachieving, and more than holding the fort without the three-time MVP.
They had already proven enough recently and had earned a night off. But clearly, the players and team wanted to go out and keep things rolling, and that’s what they do. They put the league on notice and showed that even without the Joker, this is a team that can make some noise - a stark contrast from past seasons.
This is a new team, and they have a new attitude and energy. We’ve been seeing it all season with different guys in and out of the lineup, but this recent run without the Joker has caught the attention of everyone around the NBA.
We’ve seen how versatile this roster is, how they are capable of covering up for guys who are missing, and now we see the kind of mentality and mindset they have. It’s no coincidence that even with all the injuries, they’re now 28-13, and alone in second place in the Western Conference.
With a Jokic return now squarely on the horizon, things are looking up, and it’s becoming more and more clear that this Nuggets team is ready to make a serious run at another championship.