Nuggets at Mavericks
The Denver Nuggets have split their past 10 contests and look to get back on the upswing when they open a three-game road trip against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. The Nuggets were 38-16 before the rough stretch but displayed signs of putting it aside with Monday's 109-95 home win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
The victory over the NBA-best Bucks came with a disclaimer as reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) and fellow All-Star Khris Middleton (rest) missed the game but Denver coach Michael Malone wasn't concerned about that. "It was about our effort, our focus and 'were we willing to go out there and try to defend at a high level?'" Malone told reporters. "I thought we did that." The Mavericks have dropped two straight games and four of their last seven after falling 119-110 to the host San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. All-Star point guard Luka Doncic scored 38 points and is averaging 37 over the consecutive setbacks.
TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN, Altitude 2, FS Southwest, Sportsnet One
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (43-21): Point guard Jamal Murray scored 21 points in the win over Milwaukee after failing to reach the 20-point mark in six of the previous seven contests. Power forward Paul Millsap registered 20 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season and first since Feb. 8. All-Star center Nikola Jokic has struggled the past two games by averaging nine points while making just 8-of-24 field-goal attempts and hasn't reached the 20-point mark since tallying 23 against the Toronto Raptors on March 1.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (39-27): Doncic knows his club has experienced some rough spots, but Dallas still sits in seventh place in the Western Conference and is 6 1/2 games ahead of the eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies. "I'm not worried at all," Doncic told reporters after the loss to the Spurs. "At the beginning of the season people had us out of playoffs and we showed that we can be in the playoffs. As of now, we are in the playoffs. It's a long way, but I think we are going to make the playoffs. I'm not worried." Shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 20 points against San Antonio and is averaging 23.5 points over the last four contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The teams have split two matchups this season, but the Nuggets have prevailed in four of the past five meetings.
2. Denver backup F Jerami Grant scored 19 points against Milwaukee after averaging seven over the previous three contests.
3. Dallas reserve SG Seth Curry (ankle) ankle sat out Tuesday and is expected to miss his third straight game.