Dallas Mavs Postgame Reactions: Biggest Takeaways From Loss to Denver Nuggets

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks lost to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Friday night to drop their record to 4-1, but there were several positives for Dallas to look at going forward. We discuss all of those things on today's episode of the Mavs Step Back Podcast.

The Dallas Mavericks’ bid to go 82-0 ended on Friday night, as they lost their first game of the season to the reigning-champion Denver Nuggets on the road. Despite cutting a 20-point deficit down to eight with nearly four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Mavs couldn’t overcome the Nuggets’ size advantage, losing the rebounding battle 51-34 and the paint-points battle 68-40.

Although the Mavs likely aren’t interested in any moral victories, there were some positives to come out of their first loss of the year. First and foremost, rookie big man Dereck Lively II got some valuable experience against the Nikola Jokic, who is arguably the best player in basketball right now. Lively only had four points, four rebounds and one block on the night, given how quickly he tends to learn from his experiences, it wouldn’t surprise us if he has a better outing the next time Dallas faces Denver.

Fans taking in the Dallas Mavericks' game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night had to adjust their eyes to Denver's colorful In-Season Tournament court / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Secondly, the Mavs have to be encouraged by the minutes they’re getting from second-year guard Jaden Hardy over these last two games. After hitting some clutch shots to help Dallas close out the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, Hardy did his best to help his team lead a comeback against Denver in the fourth quarter, hitting timely corner 3s to keep the Mavs attached. Hardy finished with six points, three rebounds and three assists in 14 minutes while being a team-best +8 on the night.

On today’s episode of the Mavs Step Back Podcast, we discuss Lively and Hardy’s performances, as well as Luka Doncic going toe-to-toe with Jokic and Kyrie Irving turning it on defensively in Denver after returning from a two-game injury absence.

You can watch and listen to our entire Mavs-Nuggets game recap below. As always, thanks for tuning in, and be sure to hit that subscribe button on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere else you get your podcasts!