On January 15th, Beijing time, in the home game against the Nuggets, the Mavericks lost to the Nuggets with a score of 99-118. The two teams had just played each other before, and although the Mavericks suffered a reversal, they also showed their strength in the game. This time they met again, with Irving returning, the Mavericks hoped to avenge the Nuggets. This game was crucial for them, as another loss would widen the gap in wins and losses with the Nuggets, who currently lead by 1.5 games. The starting lineup for the Mavericks was Irving, Clay, Marshall, Washington, and Lively, while the Nuggets started with Westbrook, Murray, Braun, Porter, and Jokic.
In the first quarter, the Nuggets took an early lead with an 11-4 run, followed by Gafford scoring to stabilize the situation. However, the Mavericks struggled, with Murray and Porter making consecutive shots, giving the Nuggets a 10-point lead. After a timeout, Westbrook hit a three-pointer, and Dinwiddie responded with a score. Murray and Porter continued to score, extending the Nuggets' lead to 15 points. In the closing stages, Dinwiddie made a 2+1 and Jokic scored, with Murray helping the Nuggets maintain their advantage, ending the first quarter with a 15-point lead. In the second quarter, Jordan and Gordon helped the Nuggets expand their lead, with Clay hitting a three-pointer at a critical moment. The game went back and forth, with Grimes and Irving hitting three-pointers, allowing the Mavericks to close the gap. However, Murray, Dinwiddie, and Porter followed with three-pointers, and finally, Clay hit another three-pointer, leaving the Mavericks trailing by 26 points at halftime.
During the third quarter, Jokic and Murray continued to score, with Clay stopping the decline with a layup, and Jokic stabilizing the situation with free throws. Although Clay later hit a shot over Jokic, Westbrook quickly responded with a mid-range shot. After Irving was blocked, Westbrook caused a foul on Clay and made both free throws. Then Washington scored in a counterattack, leaving the Mavericks still trailing by 26 points. After a timeout, Murray scored with a layup, and Irving also made a layup. Subsequently, Westbrook stole the ball, and Braun scored under the basket. After Gafford made free throws, Porter hit a three-pointer, and in subsequent games, Gafford scored repeatedly, with the Nuggets leading by 24 points at the end of the third quarter. Entering the fourth quarter, the Mavericks launched a 10-2 run, with Hardie scoring, and the Mavericks once reduced the gap to 14 points. However, the Nuggets then went on a 7-0 run, regaining a 21-point lead. After a timeout, Murray hit another three-pointer, and the Nuggets maintained a significant lead. Seeing this situation, both teams replaced their main players, and the Nuggets eventually won with a big advantage over the Mavericks.
In this game, Murray was outstanding. He had an explosive performance early in the game, which the Mavericks could not contain. It is significant for the Nuggets that Murray can perform so well in the game. At the end of the game, Murray made 18 of 26 shots, scoring 45 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists. Because of Murray's excellent performance, Jokic played particularly relaxed in the game. At the end of the game, Jokic made 4 of 7 shots, scoring 10 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals. On the other hand, Westbrook struggled offensively in this game. At the end of the game, Westbrook made only 3 of 11 shots, scoring 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.
In this game, Irving returned from injury, but his performance was poor, making only 4 of 18 shots and scoring 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. During Irving's slump, no other Mavericks player stepped up. Lively sprained his ankle while grabbing rebounds during the game. Clay scored 8 points and 3 rebounds with 3 of 8 shooting, Washington scored 5 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists with 2 of 10 shooting, and Marshall scored 11 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists. As a result, the Mavericks were in a low overall state, and it was no one else's fault that they lost the game. After the game, the fifth place in the West changed, with the Clippers rising to fifth in the West thanks to this game, while the Mavericks dropped to sixth in the West.
