DENVER NUGGETS (18-16) AT MAVERICKS (18-18)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: American Airlines Center, Dallas
TV: BSSW
Radio: The Eagle, 97.1 FM; Univision 99.1 FM (Spanish)
About the Mavericks: The Mavs will be without star forward Kristaps Porzingis for tonight’s game. After sitting out Sunday’s victory over Oklahoma City for resting purposes, Porzingis will miss tonight’s game due to the health and safety protocols. . .The Mavs just completed a solid 3-2 record on a 10-day road trip, and now the Mavs are back in Dallas to start a brief two-game homestand against a pair of the NBA’s best teams. After hosting the Nuggets tonight, the Mavs will entertain the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday – the same night when they retire Dirk Nowitzki’s iconic No. 41 jersey. The Nuggets have the fifth-best record in the Western Conference while the Warriors own the best record in the entire NBA. . .After missing 10 straight games due to left ankle soreness and health and safety protocols, point guard Luka Doncic returned Sunday and delivered 14 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists in the Mavs’ 95-86 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Also in that game, Tim Hardaway Jr. played his first game after missing six contests because of health and safety protocols and finished with a team-high tying 15 points. Marquese Chriss, who signed a second 10-day contract last Friday, was very efficient with a team-high tying 15 points and seven rebounds in only 14 minutes against OKC. Chriss was 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-3 from three-point land. And Jalen Brunson added 12 points and seven assists. . .The Mavs are 1-1 this season against the Nuggets. They lost in Denver, 106-75, on Oct. 29 on the second night of a back-to-back. And they defeated the Nuggets in Dallas, 111-101, on Nov. 15 behind 29 points and 11 rebounds from Porzingis, and 23 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists and two steals from Doncic. That win lifted the Mavs’ record to 9-4. That’s the only time they’ve been at least five games above .500 this season. . . . .The Mavs are 3-2 on the second leg of a back-to-back.
About the Nuggets: Denver has won six of its last nine games, including the past three. . .This is the finale of a Texas two-step for the Nuggets before they return home to host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. Denver emerged victorious in Houston this past Saturday, 124-111, behind Nikola Jokic (24 points, 11 rebounds), Facundo Campazzo (22 points, 12 assists, five steals, two blocks), Aaron Gordon (16 points, seven boards) and Jamychal Green (11 points, seven rebounds). . .Prior to upending the Rockets, the Nuggets went to San Francisco last Tuesday and edged the short-handed Golden State Warriors, 89-86, as Jokic finished with 22 points, 19 rebounds, five assists, four steals and eight turnovers, and Will Barton collected 21 points and was 4-of-7 from beyond the three-point arc. . .And before handling the Warriors, the Nuggets traveled to Los Angeles where they blew a 17-point lead before rallying to nip the Clippers, 103-100, on Dec. 26. Jokic enjoyed a monster game – 26 points, 22 rebounds and eight assists – while becoming the first player since Charles Barkley in 1988 to post back-to-back games of at least 25 points, 20 rebounds and five assists. In the Nuggets’ previous game – a 115-107 loss at home against Charlotte on Dec. 23 – the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player finished with 29 points, 21 rebounds and five assists. . .Denver’s home game against the Warriors last Thursday was postponed because injuries and health and safety protocol issues limited the Nuggets to less than the NBA minimum of eight players required to play a game. . .In that 31-point win over the Mavs back on Oct. 29, Barton collected 17 points five assists and six assists, while Jokic had 11 points 16 rebounds and eight assists. . .During the Mavs’ 10-point win over Denver on Nov. 15, Jokic posted an all-around game of 35 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and two blocks.
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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