'Tough' GAMEDAY, No Porzingis: Back-to-Back Mavs at Nuggets

Kristaps Porzingis (lower back tightness) will miss his second straight game.

The Dallas Mavericks hit the road to play the Denver Nuggets in the back half of their first back-to-back of the season. The Mavs have a chance to extend their winning-streak in Denver to four games in the nationally televised Friday night Western Conference showdown.

Will the reigning 2020-21 NBA MVP Nikola Jokic play? Jokic suffered a right knee contusion in a loss to Utah on Tuesday. He is considered questionable. The Nuggets are also without high-scoring Jamal Murray, who is recovering from ACL surgery.

The Mavs are coming off a 104-99 victory vs. the San Antonio Spurs, despite Kristaps Porzingis being sidelined for the contest, with newly acquired Reggie Bullock started in his place.

Kristaps Porzingis (lower back tightness) was reevaluated Friday and will miss his second straight game. 

INJURY REPORT: For Dallas; Boban Marjanović (low back tightness) is probable. Sterling Brown (left ankle sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (low back tightness) are OUT. 

For Denver; Vlatko Cancer is OUT, Nikola Jokic is QUESTIONABLE, Jamal Murray is OUT. 

FLASHBACK: The Mavericks have won each of the last two season series, 2-1.

FUN FACT: The road team has taken five of the last six meetings between the Mavs and the Nuggets

ODDS: The Mavs are 1.5-point underdogs to the Nuggets on FanDuel.

RECORDS: DALLAS MAVERICKS (3-1) at DENVER NUGGETS (2-2)

WHEN: Friday, October 29, 2021 at 9 p.m. CT

LOCATION: Ball Arena (Denver, CO)

TV/RADIO: ESPN, BSSW, 97.1 The Eagle (KEGL)

NEXT: Trick or treat? The Mavs are hoping Halloween will be a treat, hosting the Sacramento Kings on October 31 at 2:30 p.m. CT.

FINAL WORD “It’s a tough back-to-back flying to Denver, but we’ve got to do the same thing,” said Maxi Kleber, part of Dallas’ strong bench. “Just come with a lot of energy and play hard.”