Mavericks Fall to Nuggets 122-120 Despite Kyrie Irving's 43 Points

The Mavericks failed to win another game in the clutch despite having a lead with a minute to go

Nov 10, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts in the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks entered Sunday night with a 5-4 record after dropping their last game to the Phoenix Suns. To avoid falling to .500, they would face the Denver Nuggets on the road, with Luka Doncic entering the game questionable.

Doncic would play against his good buddy Nikola Jokic, with the Mavs starting Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, and Daniel Gafford. Denver started Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., Peyton Watson, and Nikola Jokic.

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It was another slow start for the Mavericks, who faced an early 11-3 deficit, which they were trying to avoid. The Nuggets' lead would balloon to nine before Dallas responded with a few quick buckets to pull it back within one possession.

Michael Porter Jr. wouldn't let the Mavs get much closer, scoring five straight points out of the mid-quarter timeout as part of the Nuggets' push to open up a double-digit lead on the Mavs. Porter was cooking early, scoring 13 of Denver's first 28 points.

Dallas finally opened up the offense after Denver went up double-digits, but they struggled to get stops on defense. Despite scoring 29 points, Denver scored 35. Both teams were 13/24 from the floor, but Denver was 4/8 from three, while the Mavs were 1/7. Throw in a few extra free throws for the Nuggets, and it explains their lead. Neither team was turning it over; both teams were making shots, and Denver was just making the more valuable ones.

Doncic had five quick points to start the second quarter to bring the lead back to one, and some free throws by Dwight Powell, playing in place of Dereck Lively II, gave the Mavericks a 40-39 lead, their first lead of the game. The Mavs would lead by as much as four with Nikola Jokic out of the game but retook the lead by the time he came back in.

Peyton Watson was giving the Nuggets some surprisingly good offense in the first half while Jamal Murray wasn't taking many shots, but the Mavs would tie the game back up with a few minutes remaining in the half. Thanks to some crafty points by Kyrie Irving and impressive passing by Luka Doncic, the Mavericks took a 63-60 lead into halftime after being down double-digits in the first quarter.

READ MORE: 'Our Bench Stinks'... Jason Kidd Furious With Mavs' Effort Against Suns

The second half started with made threes by Peyton Watson and Jamal Murray to give the Nuggets the lead again. Kyrie Irving refused to let the Mavericks die off, though, making every shot possible to go shot for shot with the Nuggets.

Denver tried to go zone midway through the third quarter to slow Irving down, but when you're playing on a team with passers like Luka Doncic and Naji Marshall, Irving is still going to find ways to score. Jokic somehow had a quiet 20-point triple-double by midway through the quarter, but the Mavs were making him work for it.

After the Mavericks tied the game on a Luka Doncic free throw, the Nuggets responded with a 7-0 run to gain a little bit of breathing room. Dallas would respond, ending with a Klay Thompson three to bring the Nuggets' lead back down to one possession at the end of the third quarter: 97-94.

Dallas had dominated the paint on offense all game while Denver was lighting up the Mavs from three. It was an interesting contrast in styles that both offenses executed at a high level. Kyrie Irving was determined to lift the Mavs to a win, making two straight threes in the early minutes of the fourth quarter to give Dallas a 102-100 lead. The shot that gave them the lead was a heat check of all heat checks, pulling up from the logo for his tenth consecutive make.

Nikola Jokic was taking a breather, leaving Russell Westbrook to run the show, something the Mavericks were happy to let happen. Once Jokic came back in, the Nuggets started to double-team Kyrie Irving and force someone else to beat them while also letting Jamal Murray heat up, as he hit two tough mid-range buckets to give them a 106-105 lead with about seven minutes remaining. Those double-teams on Irving would not matter, as he'd jab step and step back in the corner to nail another three-pointer, his sixth of the night.

But a Russell Westbrook lay-in and a wide-open Jokic three put the Nuggets up by five with as many minutes to play. After failing in the clutch against the Suns, here was another opportunity for the Mavs to get a clutch win.

Luka Doncic responded with a three of his own to get the lead down to two and then got out on the break to tie the game on the next possession. Denver blitzed Doncic on the next offensive possession to force a turnover and took advantage of it to retake the lead, but Irving found Gafford on a blitz, who dished it to a cutting Naji Marshall who hit the layup while being fouled and hit the and-one to take a 116-115 lead with three minutes remaining.

Jamal Murray was bailed out by a controversial foul call on Luka Doncic as Doncic was flying by, and Murray's elbow brushed Doncic, enough for a shooting foul worth three free throws. He'd go 1/3 at the line, a true "Ball Don't Lie" situation. Kyrie Irving would retake the lead on an elbow jumper on the next possession. After the Nuggets tied it up, he hit a RIDICULOUS turn-around fade to take the lead again, but Jokic would tie the game once more with under 50 seconds to go.

Irving's three-pointer would be blocked on the Mavs' possession, and Michael Porter Jr. would hit a floater with the shot clock winding down to take a 122-120 lead with 6.5 seconds remaining.

For their last possession, Dallas went to Kyrie Irving, who took a tough contested three from the left corner, and it bounced off the back iron. The Mavericks fell in the clutch once again, this time to the Denver Nuggets.

Kyrie Irving was spectacular for most of the evening, but it was a curious play call at the end. He still finished with 43 points, shooting 17/22 from the floor and 6/8 from three. He started 6/6 from three but missed his last two. Luka Doncic had a solid performance as well, finishing with 24 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds. Daniel Gafford had a solid night with 16 points, Naji Marshall had 11, and Klay Thompson had 10.

It was another disappointing effort from the Mavs' bench, though. Jason Kidd shrunk the rotation to nine, deciding not to play Quentin Grimes, and Dwight Powell, Jaden Hardy, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper combined for 16 points on 6/18 shooting. Prosper was a -13 in eight minutes in a game the Mavs lost by two points.

Nikola Jokic was spectacular as well, adding another triple-double to his lengthy stack with 37 points, 18 rebounds, and 15 assists. His statline doesn't even feel real. Jamal Murray had 18 points, Michael Porter Jr. had 17 points, including the eventual game-winner, Peyton Wayton had 16, Christian Braun had 14, and Julian Strawther had 12. While Dallas dominated the paint, Denver dominated from three, shooting 14/29 from three-point range in this game, while the Mavs were just 10/33 from deep.

Once again the Mavericks had a lead with a minute to go and lost the game in regulation. They have some serious issues they need to figure out, and it won't get easier playing the Warriors on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Controversial Call Costs Mavericks Against Suns, Dallas Falls 114-113

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