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The last time the Dallas Mavericks(20-17) went into Denver back in January, they won 124-117 in OT, but COVID-19 impacted the team after that game. Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell, and Josh Richardson missed multiple games due to health and safety protocols.
On Saturday night, Dallas returned to Denver, and just as they did in January, they got the victory. Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points and Luka Doncic had 21 points and 12 assists as the Mavericks defeated the Nuggets(22-16) 116-103.
“After a very poor start, going down 10-nothing, and we really gathered ourselves well, finished the first quarter strong within a point,” Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said. “The second quarter was much, much better, and then, we were able to create more distance, and we did a lot of good things.”
Dallas led by as many as 21 points and was in complete control after three quarters.
The Mavericks also got another strong game from Josh Richardson, who scored 20 points, including 4/5 from three-point range. The Mavericks are 16-6 when Richardson scores in double figures, and according to Carlisle, Richardson has been a leader on the defensive end.
“Nobody is talking about it, but Josh Richardson has really stepped up in the last two weeks and has been a leader for us defensively, out front on the ball, getting on guys,” Carlisle said. “He’s been one of our leaders. We’re a team that can score, and we’re in a process of developing a collective will for our defense.”
Richardson added on the team: “I think we’re starting to figure out how to play for each other. We have so much talent on this roster from the first man to the 15th man.”
Dallas has now won 12 of their last 16 games and now go home to play a two-game set with the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. Dallas is currently in the 8th-seed in the Western Conference. If they want to make noise in the playoffs, they probably want to get higher in the standings, and right now, the talent is there for this team to continue to climb the standings out West.