DALLAS — Jamal Murray was on fire Tuesday night, scoring 32 of his season-high 45 points during the first half, as he led the Denver Nuggets to a decisive 118-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Murray easily broke his previous season high of 34 points, which he achieved earlier against Detroit on December 28.
His shooting performance was impressive, hitting 18 of 26 attempts from the field and nailing 5 of 9 from beyond the arc. In addition to his scoring, he contributed six assists and snagged two steals before leaving the court with just under four minutes left in the game, finishing just five points shy of his career-best of 50 points, which he recorded against Cleveland on February 19, 2021.
Michael Porter Jr. supported the offense by scoring 13 points, while Nikola Jokic added 10 points along with 14 rebounds in the conquest.
For the Mavericks, Kyrie Irving made his return to the lineup after missing five games due to a lumbar back sprain. He managed to score 11 points but struggled with his shooting, connecting on only 4 of 18 attempts. Daniel Gafford and Naji Marshall contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively.
In terms of team performance, the Nuggets, who had defeated the Mavs by 11 points just days earlier, have now secured four consecutive wins and eight victories in their last 10 games. Notably, all eight of those wins have come by margins of 10 points or more.
Conversely, this loss marked the Mavericks’ second-most significant defeat this season, trailing only a 23-point loss to the Clippers on December 19.
A critical moment in the game occurred when Dereck Lively II of Dallas exited the matchup with an ankle injury eight minutes into the first quarter, and he did not return to action.
Statistically, Jamal Murray’s first-half performance stood out, as he converted 12 of 15 field goal attempts and 4 of 6 from three-point territory, totaling 32 points. This effort ranks as the third-highest point output in the first half of any game in the NBA this season.
Looking forward, both teams are scheduled for matches on Wednesday. The Nuggets will be taking on the Houston Rockets at home, while the Mavericks will travel to face the New Orleans Pelicans.
