Jamal Murray is regaining his form, overcoming a strained hamstring and two ankle sprains. His recent 22-point contribution, perfect from beyond the arc, was instrumental in the Denver Nuggets’ dominant 130-104 victory over a Dallas Mavericks team missing critical players during the NBA’s Monday slate.
Murray expressed satisfaction with improving health and rhythm despite missing 15 games this season. Aaron Gordon matched a season-best with 21 points, and Nikola Jokic added a well-rounded eight points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, allowing the Nuggets’ starters to rest in the final quarter. Denver’s bench outshone Dallas’s with a season-high 62 points, led by Reggie Jackson’s 20 points.
“I’m doing fine. I can’t complain,” Murray said. “I think we’re still just trying to, not find our rhythm, but all be on the court healthy at one time.”
Nuggets coach Michael Malone commended the bench for their effective play. Denver decisively extended their lead with a 21-10 run in the third quarter, recovering from a recent loss to Oklahoma City.
“I thought our bench was really good tonight,” Malone said. “That group played the right way, building good habits.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks Updates
Luka Doncic, despite feeling under the weather, praised the Nuggets’ team performance and noted their effective ball distribution and shooting. Denver capitalized on fast breaks, gaining a significant 32-11 point advantage.
“They were playing great,” Doncic said. “But everybody played great on their team. They were just sharing the ball. There were a lot of open shots for them. They played a really good game.”
Murray highlighted Denver’s strategy to maintain a fast pace, especially playing at altitude, successfully disrupting Dallas. Doncic, who scored 22 points in the second quarter and finished with 38 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists couldn’t compensate for the absences of Kyrie Irving, Josh Green, Maxi Kleber, and Dereck Lively II.
“We just felt like we could get out and run — especially at home, at altitude,” Murray said. “We did a good job of trying to keep them off-balance.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks Updates
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd emphasized the need for improvement in both scoring and defense. Tim Hardaway Jr. achieved a personal milestone, surpassing his father on the NBA’s career 3-pointers list.
“When we can’t score and we can’t get stops, that’s not a great recipe to win,” Kidd said. “We have to be better.”
Looking ahead, the Mavericks will host the Los Angeles Clippers, while the Nuggets embark on a three-game road trip starting in Toronto against the Raptors.
