Returning to the city where their season nearly was sabotaged by COVID-19, the Mavericks continued their resurgence, soundly beating Denver 116-103 on Saturday night in Ball Arena.
Dallas’ dominance was all the more pronounced considering it fell behind 10-0 just 1:52 into the game.
While winning for the third straight time in Denver and ending the Nuggets’ five-game winning streak, eighth-place Dallas (20-17) pulled within 1.5 games of sixth-place Denver (22-16) in the Western Conference standings.
Returning from one-game absences for “injury recovery,” Kristaps Porzingis posted 25 points and six rebounds and Luka Doncic tallied 21 points, 12 assists and five rebounds. Seven Mavericks scored at least eight points and Dallas had 26 assists on its 42 field goals.
“We did a great job on offense — and on defense,” Doncic said. “We got kind of a rough start, but we picked it up and a think we played better basketball the rest of the game.”
The last time they were in Denver, on Jan. 7, the Mavericks came away with a 124-117 overtime victory, but had to leave behind three players – Josh Richardson and Dorian Finney-Smith with COVID-19 and Jalen Brunson due to contact tracing.
That game’s late hero was Maxi Kleber, with three treys at the end of regulation and overtime. But after returning from Denver, Kleber and Dwight Powell, too, contracted the coronavirus and the Mavericks soon spiraled to nine defeats in 11 games.
This night, conversely, is part of a springboard that has vaulted Dallas to 11 wins in its last 14 outings. Perhaps importantly, the Mavericks also clinched the season series against Denver, 2-1, giving them the tie-breaker if the teams finish with the same record. In the log-jammed Western Conference, that’s entirely possible.
“Now we know what we’re capable of, the level of talent that has been put together for this season,” Porzingis said. “And I think it’s starting to show. It’s starting to what this team can really do. But as I always say, we’re never too high and never too low. We got a good one tonight. We know they were on the second night of a back-to-back. We got the job done.”
Perhaps it was apropos that the five Mavericks who missed a combined 41 games due to COVID and contract-tracing made significant contributions on Saturday.
“I’m not going to lie: When we were on our way back [to Denver], I was definitely like, ‘Aw, I do not want to go back to that hotel,” said Richardson, who had to quarantine in that hotel for nearly two weeks. “I’m just glad that hopefully I can leave on time this time around.”
Richardson finished with 20 points, four assists and four rebounds; Finney Smith tallied 11 points and eight rebounds; Kleber contributed eight points and seven rebounds. En route to six points and 11 rebounds, Powell played a big role as Dallas outscored Denver 34-22 in the second quarter and turned the game around.
Saturday’s game concluded a brief two-game road trip, but also began a potentially seismic stretch of games where the conference standings are concerned.
Dallas now comes home to face the fourth-place Clippers on Monday and Wednesday; then plays at fifth-place Portland on Friday and next Sunday.
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Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
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