Mavericks at Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets head into their 30th game as owners of the best record in the Western Conference. Denver attempts to win for the 11th time in the past 13 games when it hosts the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
The Nuggets produced a 95-86 victory over the NBA-leading Toronto Raptors on Sunday as they once again displayed the strong start isn't a fluke. "I guess maybe it says we're the best team for the time being," Nuggets coach Michael Malone told reporters afterward. "There are a lot of games left. I think one thing we've done a really good job of is tempering our own excitement." The Mavericks have been surprisingly good as well but have lost back-to-back games after winning 12 of their previous 15 contests. Dallas has been energized by rookie forward Luka Doncic, who has 14 20-point outings after having 28 points and nine assists in Sunday's 120-113 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Dallas), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (15-13): Veteran forward Dirk Nowitzki is back from ankle surgery but played just 14 total minutes in his first two appearances. The plan is to increase his minutes slowly as he gets back into game shape and the 40-year-old played eight minutes against Sacramento after receiving six minutes in his season debut against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. "It was definitely a step forward,” Nowitzki told reporters after Sunday's game. “I played a couple more minutes. I thought my wind was a little better. (I’m) plugging along, plugging along in the right direction. But we are 0-2 since I’ve been back. We lost two tough games, two games we feel like we should have had, so it’s frustrating.”
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (20-9): Star center Nikola Jokic has scored at least 24 points in each of the past four games and is averaging 25.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.5 steals during the stretch. The 23-year-old is picking up the pace at a time in which starters Gary Harris (hip) and Paul Millsap (toe) are out while potent swingman Will Barton (core muscle surgery) has been sidelined nearly two months. “He’s doing what he’s supposed to do,” Malone told reporters of Jokic. “He’s our franchise player. We’re committed to him. We believe in him. He’s the future of this team. Whether we have guys out or we have a full roster, we expect a lot from Nikola.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Nuggets have prevailed in four straight home games against the Mavericks.
2. Dallas PG Dennis Smith Jr. (wrist) will likely sit out for the sixth time in the past seven games, while G J.J. Barea (ankle) intends to return after missing two games.
3. Denver backup PG Monte Morris has scored in double figures in six straight games and is averaging 13.5 points during the stretch.