The Denver Nuggets established a little history Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets, but more importantly, they got their sixth win in eight games.
The Nuggets will try for its seventh win in nine games at the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday afternoon.
In the 124-105 win over Brooklyn on Friday night, the Nuggets had two players rack up triple-doubles for the second time this season. Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook have done it twice in the past two weeks, and it’s the first time in NBA history teammates have had triple-doubles in the same regular-season game multiple times in a single season.
“Wow,” Denver coach Michael Malone said after hearing the factoid. “That’s pretty crazy. We’re watching history, folks.”
Westbrook has been starting in place of the injured Aaron Gordon (right calf strain) since Gordon left the Christmas night game at Phoenix. Gordon is questionable to play Sunday, but if he does return, Westbrook may stay in the starting lineup if Jamal Murray is unable to play.
Murray didn’t play in the second half against the Nets due to left knee soreness, and that took the Nuggets’ second-leading scorer off the court. Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are tied behind Jokic in scoring at 19 points per game.
Jokic leads Denver in nearly every major category, including scoring (31.6), rebounding (13) and assists (9.9). He is second in the league in points per game and third in assists and rebounding.
Jokic put up 35 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds on Friday night despite struggling with the illness that sidelined him the previous two games.
Dallas won’t feel any sympathy for the Nuggets. The Mavericks won’t have their top two scorers in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Doncic, who leads the team in scoring at 28.1 points per game, has not played since Christmas due to a left calf strain suffered in that game.
Irving, who is second in points at 24.3, has not played since Jan. 1 because of a bulging disc in his back. Irving did some shooting Saturday but will not play Sunday.
Dante Exum, who has yet to play this season after surgery on his right wrist, is inching closer to his season debut, coach Jason Kidd said.
“I think he’s out to the 3-point line shooting now. A lot of positives there,” Kidd told The Dallas Morning News. “It’s just a matter of getting the scheduled appointment to check and see how the wrist is doing and go from there. He’s in great shape. He’s done a lot of solo workouts. I think he’s excited to test the wrist out when he’s cleared to do that.”
Dallas has won its last two games after dropping five in a row, but Sunday’s game will be a challenge against Denver, which has started to put together more consistent performances.
Sunday will be the first of two straight games between the teams, both of which will be played on the Mavericks’ home court. They will meet again Tuesday night to wrap up the season series, which currently stands at one game apiece after they met twice in a span of 12 days in November.
–Field Level Media
