On January 13, 2025, Beijing time, the 22-win and 16-loss Mavericks hosted the 22-win and 15-loss Nuggets. On paper, the Nuggets had a clear advantage as Doncic and Irving were not playing, while all the main players of the Nuggets were present. However, the Mavericks had defeated the Lakers and Trail Blazers in their absence to achieve a two-game winning streak. Could they create another miracle today? The Mavericks' starting lineup was Dinwiddie, Thompson, Marshall, Washington, and Lively, while the Nuggets had Gordon returning from injury, coming off the bench. The Nuggets' starting lineup was Westbrook, Murray, Braun, Porter, and Jokic.
In the first quarter, Lively and Marshall scored 6-0, followed by Jokic's layup. Marshall hit a three-pointer, and the Mavericks led 9-2. Jokic made one of two free throws, and Marshall scored again, with Thompson adding eight points, extending the Mavericks' lead to 19-3, a 16-point advantage. Jokic and Porter responded with points, but Washington and Gafford kept the gap at 16 points. Porter, Westbrook, and Gordon scored for the Nuggets, while Dinwiddie and Hardy replied, maintaining a 15-point difference. Jokic scored with a hook shot, but Graham and Gafford responded, keeping the lead at 17 points. Gordon made a jumper, and the first quarter ended with the Mavericks leading 32-17.
In the second quarter, Jordan and Gordon scored four points for the Nuggets, reducing the gap to 11 points. Thompson hit a three-pointer, and Hardy made free throws, extending the lead to 16 points. Westbrook, Jordan, and Strus brought the deficit down to nine points. Lively scored with a hook shot, but Gordon and Strus continued to close the gap to seven points. Thompson, Gafford, and Kleber scored for the Mavericks, while Westbrook, Murray, and Braun tried to catch up, leaving an eight-point difference. Dinwiddie made three free throws, but Watson and Jokic scored five points, reducing the gap to six points. Kleber, Marshall, and Dinwiddie added points for the Mavericks, while Jokic, Porter, and Westbrook tried to close the gap to three points. At halftime, the Mavericks led 61-58.
In the third quarter, Braun scored four points, giving the Nuggets a one-point lead. However, Marshall and Lively responded, regaining a three-point lead for the Mavericks. Braun made a layup, but Lively and Marshall scored strongly, putting the Mavericks ahead by seven points. Westbrook scored a 2+1 play, reducing the gap to four points. Thompson scored 11 points on his own, with Marshall and Washington also contributing, extending the lead to 19 points. Jokic, Watson, and Murray managed to reduce the gap to ten points, and the third quarter ended with the Mavericks leading 89-79.
In the fourth quarter, Dinwiddie made a layup, giving the Mavericks a 12-point lead. Gordon and Murray scored consecutively, with Jordan making an alley-oop dunk, allowing the Nuggets to tie the score. Washington scored a layup, but Murray made a 2+1 play, giving the Nuggets a one-point lead. Gafford dunked, and Dinwiddie made one of two free throws, putting the Mavericks back in the lead by two points. Jokic and Westbrook regained a three-point lead for the Nuggets. Dinwiddie made one of two free throws and scored a layup, but Westbrook, Watson, and Porter continued to score, giving the Nuggets a nine-point lead. Washington scored with a hook shot, but Jokic made two excellent assists to Westbrook, extending the lead to 11 points with 21 seconds left in the game, effectively ending the suspense. Ultimately, the Nuggets completed a great comeback, defeating the Mavericks 112-101 after trailing by 19 points at one point.
Jokic scored 19 points, grabbed 18 rebounds, and made 9 assists with 2 steals. Westbrook scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, made 7 assists, and had 2 blocks, setting a new career record for the Nuggets with two consecutive games achieving 20+10+5. Murray scored 17 points with 2 rebounds and 2 assists, Gordon scored 13 points with 6 rebounds, Porter scored 13 points with 4 rebounds, and Watson scored 10 points with 6 rebounds.
Thompson scored 25 points with 6 rebounds and 2 assists (making 6 out of 13 three-pointers). Dinwiddie scored 16 points with 4 rebounds and 10 assists, Marshall scored 16 points with 6 rebounds and 3 steals, Lively scored 14 points with 5 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 blocks, and Washington scored 8 points with 6 rebounds.
After Westbrook became a starter for the Nuggets, their win rate has been very high. The Nuggets have come to realize that they must heavily rely on Westbrook, as he can do many things and has excellent chemistry with Jokic. Westbrook can help the Nuggets return to the ranks of top teams. Even without Doncic and Irving, the Mavericks were able to lead the Nuggets by 19 points at one point. Once Doncic and Irving return, their strength will be formidable. Both the Nuggets and the Mavericks should be very competitive in the playoffs, and the Western Conference landscape has changed.