Dec 19, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) shoots the ball as Dallas Mavericks forward Dwight Powell (7) defends during the first half at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Nuggets extended their win streak to 3, their longest winning streak of the year thus far.
The Nuggets got their third consecutive win Monday night against the Dallas Mavericks in Denver, 117-107.
It was a close one early, but the Nuggets were able to hold it together and put together a performance that was impressive and fun to watch.
The Nuggets starters (Mudiay, Harris, Gallinari, Chandler, and Jokic) were in great-form, led by Gary Harris and Nikola Jokic’s recent resurrections.
Want your voice heard? Join the Nugg Love team!
The Dallas Mavericks just couldn’t keep up, and the Nuggets got the win they needed.
Let’s break down this game further to see how the Nuggets played against the Mavs tonight:
Dec 19, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris (14) shoots the ball during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive and Defensive Takeaways
This one was a nail biter in the 1st half. The Nuggets started strong, and really seem to be finding something special with the new starters. The Nuggets held the lead for most of the first quarter, but the Mavericks were able to make a 10 point comeback to lead by 3 at the end of the 1st quarter.
The second quarter was the exact opposite. As the Nuggets bench came in, the Mavs lead grew to 15 points in the middle of the 2nd quarter.
Luckily, the starters came back in and had a huge comeback to end up leading at 60-58 at half. This was all led by Gary Harris (16 points in the half and stellar defense) and Nikola Jokic (12 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in the half).
The second half was all Nuggets.
Dallas got out to a quick start in the 3rd quarter, but that was halted by Emmanuel Mudiay’s explosion from beyond the arc. Mudiay, Harris, and Jokic were doing their best “Big 3” impersonation.
And the 4th quarter was basically a wrap. The Mavs tried to mount multiple comebacks in the 4th, but ultimately couldn’t get the game closer than 6 points for a possession or two.
Gary Harris kept up the strong play since returning from injury. He showed off his great perimeter defense, holding Wesley Matthews scoreless in the first half (after Wes Matthews torched the nuggets 8 days ago in Dallas).
nuggets
Nugg Love 1 wDenver Nuggets: What It Means To Win in the Mile High
More headlines around FanSided:
7w - Denver Nuggets: DFS Picks for the Season Opener against the Pelicans10w - Denver Nuggets Fantasy: Implications From Preseason Opener11w - Emmanuel Mudiay: Analyzing the Art of Passing14w - Denver Nuggets: Will Malik Beasley Sadly Only Get Insurance Minutes?14w - Top 5 Denver Nuggets with Any Fantasy Basketball ValueMore News at Nugg Love
He makes the team so much better with his floor positioning, and being great without the ball.
That paired with being a great 3 point shooter is what set Gary Harris off tonight. He finished with a career high 24 points, to go along with 4 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals.
Nikola Jokic looked awesome tonight. Besides Wilson Chandler, he is definitely one of the best at running the fast-break on the team.
His passing and dribbling skills are elite for a player his size, and those combined with his rebounding make him deadly.
He threw multiple half and full court passes on the fast break tonight in Denver. He also had a sick backdoor no-look pass to Gary Harris for the lay-in.
Jokic finished just shy of the triple-double with 27 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Emmanuel Mudiay was hitting his 3’s! He went 4-4 until missing his first 3 pointer late in the 4th quarter.
He was also working great with Gary Harris. Their offensive games seem to fit perfectly together, and Gary’s return seems to have only helped Mudiay’s confidence. He finished with 18 points (4-5 from 3-pt range), 7 assists, and 5 rebounds. (Oh and only 1 turnover)
Wilson Chandler looked impressive early, hitting multiple jumpers.
He settled in late and provided solid contributions. He started, and looked better when not asked to carry the full offensive load.
But still, his best value was providing offense when playing with the Bench. Wilson ended with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists
Jamaal Murray looked good, but his “rookie-ness” was on full display. Seeing Gary on the floor again reminds us that Jamal Murray has a long way to go.
Murray only finished with 3 points and 2 rebounds, but did show some solid play. He wasn’t great, but he is developing.
Danilo Gallinari looked more in control than usual tonight. When Mudiay and Harris are creating offense, and Jokic is down low, Gallinari’s life is easy.
He can play within his offensive skill-set, and not have to force his game as a lead scorer on the team. He ended up with a solid 14 points, 4 assists, and 2 rebounds. Uncharacteristically, he also had 4 steals.
Will Barton was the main force off the bench. He looked like his usual self in tonight’s game, creating shots when he could (but not the greatest defender).
That is disappointing with his lengthy arms and good size. If Will could reign it in a little, he could be something special. He finished with 11 points and 3 assists.
Dec 9, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes (40) shoots prior to the game against the Indiana Pacers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Dallas Mavericks Team Grade: B
The Mavericks were pretty blah tonight. J.J. Barea looked great, coming in and scoring 7 points and a 2 assists within a couple minutes of play. He finished with not much more than that though, with the nuggets holding him to 11 points in the game.
More from Nugg Love
Harrison Barnes was streaky. He looked good at points throughout the game, but overall was disappointing. He finished with 19 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist.
Wes Matthews was mostly held in check by Gary Harris. He finished with 9 points, which is much less than the last time the Nuggets faced the Mavericks.
Deron Williams led the Mavs with 23 points and 8 assists. He sparks the Dallas offense, but was a defensive liability all night.
The Mavs desperately need Dirk back, which should come early in 2017. That will definitely change the feel of their team.
But let’s be honest, it was hard to pay attention to Dallas when the Nuggets where as impressive as tonight.
Dec 17, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Will Barton (5) and forward Danilo Gallinari (8) celebrate after a play in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 127-114. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Denver Nuggets Team Grade: A
Teamwork was the name of the game tonight, and the reason for the win.
The Nuggets had solid Ball Movement, with 32 assists tonight (to Dallas’ 21). The drive-and-dish was working great with Gary Harris, as he actually collapsed defenders on to him and made the right play.
And when the Nuggets are hitting their shots, they can put up a lot of points this way.
The Nuggets also out-rebounded Dallas 40 to 30, led by Nikola Jokic. It wasn’t even close as Jokic dominated the boards tonight with 15 rebounds.
The bench was weak early, but they stepped up their offensive game late. The defense of some of the bench players is what kept Dallas in the game, but at least they were scoring to keep it pretty even.
Once the starters came in, the defense did improve. Denver crushed the second half.
Overall, the Nuggets had a great game.
Let’s all hope they can keep the streak alive, and keep the team chemistry bubbling.
