Dallas Basketball

Will Nuggets' Nikola Jokic Play vs. Dallas Mavericks Tonight?

The Denver Nuggets could be without Nikola Jokic as the Dallas Mavericks roll into town.

Kade Kimble

Nov 10, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts in the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Nov 10, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts in the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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The Dallas Mavericks are looking for a big NBA Cup win on Friday night. They take on the Denver Nuggets on the road, in a tough environment, to try and get a bit of a boost in West Group C.

The Golden State Warriors are currently 2-0 and the only unbeaten team in the group. The Mavericks can actually help the Warriors clinch a group victory, should they beat the Nuggets. How fitting for Klay Thompson to help Golden State one more time, right?

While the Mavericks can't win the group outright, they can come second in the group, and a 3-1 group record with an absurd point differential might help them earn a Wild Card bid.

Dallas will be without Luka Doncic, which is a huge hit to their ability to compete at a high level, though the Nuggets might be shorthanded in a big way, too.

Denver superstar Nikola Jokic has missed the team's past three games and wasn't at practice on Thursday, as he's been sidelined for personal reasons.

It appears Jokic is set to miss another game, though his status is truly a toss-up as he's questionable for the game. He's kept quiet regarding the situation, and Nuggets head coach Mike Malone has made it clear he is out of the loop.

Denver is 1-2 without Jokic, and the game would be quite fair in terms of playing grounds with both team being without their franchise players.

With Jokic out or not, the Mavericks would need a blowout victory to give them any NBA Cup chance.

READ MORE: Will Nikola Jokic or Luka Doncic Play in Mavericks-Nuggets?

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Kade Kimble
KADE KIMBLE

Kade has been covering a wide variety of teams ranging from the NFL to the NBA and college athletics since joining Sports Illustrated's FanNation in 2022.