DALLAS — Dallas got plenty of punch from its reserves and lived in the paint, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a big night from Jamal Murray as the Mavericks dropped a 118–109 decision to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night.
The loss moved Dallas to 2–1 against Denver this season and marked its fourth defeat in the past 10 meetings with the Nuggets.
Dallas leaned heavily on its bench, which poured in 53 points — one of the team’s strongest reserve performances of the season. Brandon Williams and Caleb Martin led that group with 20 and 15 points, respectively, marking just the fifth time this year the Mavericks have had multiple 15-point scorers off the bench.
The Mavericks also controlled the interior, finishing with 66 points in the paint. That total tied for their fifth-highest paint output this season and continued a trend that didn’t exist a year ago — Dallas failed to eclipse that number even once last season and has now done it 10 times this year.
Naji Marshall led all Dallas scorers with 24 points on efficient shooting, adding five rebounds and three assists. It was his sixth 20-point outing of the season, already surpassing the total he posted across four seasons with New Orleans. Marshall has now reached the 20-point mark in back-to-back games for the fifth time since joining the Mavericks.
Martin delivered his most productive night in a Dallas uniform, scoring 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting while contributing four rebounds, three assists and three steals. His defensive activity stood out, matching his season high in steals and helping fuel Dallas’ transition offense.
Klay Thompson knocked down two more three-pointers, pushing his career total to 2,803. He now sits just two makes away from passing Damian Lillard for fourth place on the NBA’s all-time list. Daniel Gafford anchored the glass with 10 rebounds to go along with six points, recording double-digit boards for the fourth time this season.
Denver, however, had the best player on the floor. Murray finished with 33 points and five assists, delivering timely baskets whenever Dallas threatened to close the gap. His scoring punch proved decisive as the Nuggets held off every Mavericks surge.
Dallas will look to regroup as it continues a challenging stretch against Western Conference contenders.
