Through 3 Quarters
Only one more quarter stands between the Denver Nuggets and the win they were favored to collect going into this night. Three quarters in and their offense has really been able to impose its will, dominating the Dallas Mavericks 87-56.
The Nuggets have enjoyed the tag-team combination of center Nikola Jokic and small forward Will Barton. The former has almost posted a triple-double on 16 rebounds, 11 points, and eight dimes, while the latter has 17 points and six assists along with five boards. Jokic does need to be careful, however, as he is in foul trouble with four. Power forward Jeff Green is also in foul trouble with four.
Dallas has been relying on the performance of point guard Luka Doncic, who has 16 points and four assists in addition to six rebounds.
Who’s Playing
Dallas @ Denver
Current Records: Dallas 3-1; Denver 2-2
What to Know
The Denver Nuggets will take on the Dallas Mavericks at 10 p.m. ET on Friday at Ball Arena after having had a few days off. Dallas should still be riding high after a win, while the Nuggets will be looking to right the ship.
The game between Denver and the Utah Jazz on Tuesday was not particularly close, with Denver falling 122-110. Denver’s defeat came about despite a quality game from center Nikola Jokic, who had 24 points and six assists along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Dallas didn’t have too much breathing room in their matchup with the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, but they still walked away with a 104-99 victory. Power forward Maxi Kleber and point guard Jalen Brunson were among the main playmakers for Dallas as the former posted a double-double on 12 points and ten boards in addition to six blocks and the latter had 19 points and five assists in addition to seven rebounds.
The Nuggets are the favorite in this one, with an expected 3.5-point margin of victory. But bettors beware: they are 0-2 against the spread when favored.
Denver is now 2-2 while the Mavericks sit at 3-1. A couple offensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Denver comes into the contest boasting the highest field goal percentage in the league at 48.80%. On the other end of the spectrum, Dallas has only been able to knock down 41.80% percent of their shots, which is the third lowest field goal percentage in the league. We’ll see if Denver’s 7% advantage translates to a win.
How To Watch
When: Friday at 10 p.m. ETWhere: Ball Arena — Denver, ColoradoTV: ESPNOnline streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)Follow: CBS Sports AppTicket Cost: $15.00
Odds
The Nuggets are a 3.5-point favorite against the Mavericks, according to the latest NBA odds.
The line has drifted a bit towards the Nuggets, as the game opened with the Nuggets as a 1.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -110
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Series History
Denver have won 11 out of their last 21 games against Dallas.
Mar 13, 2021 – Dallas 116 vs. Denver 103Jan 25, 2021 – Denver 117 vs. Dallas 113Jan 07, 2021 – Dallas 124 vs. Denver 117Mar 11, 2020 – Dallas 113 vs. Denver 97Jan 08, 2020 – Denver 107 vs. Dallas 106Oct 29, 2019 – Dallas 109 vs. Denver 106Mar 14, 2019 – Denver 100 vs. Dallas 99Feb 22, 2019 – Denver 114 vs. Dallas 104Dec 18, 2018 – Denver 126 vs. Dallas 118Mar 06, 2018 – Dallas 118 vs. Denver 107Jan 27, 2018 – Denver 91 vs. Dallas 89Jan 16, 2018 – Denver 105 vs. Dallas 102Dec 04, 2017 – Dallas 122 vs. Denver 105Apr 11, 2017 – Denver 109 vs. Dallas 91Feb 06, 2017 – Denver 110 vs. Dallas 87Dec 19, 2016 – Denver 117 vs. Dallas 107Dec 12, 2016 – Dallas 112 vs. Denver 92Mar 28, 2016 – Dallas 97 vs. Denver 88Mar 06, 2016 – Denver 116 vs. Dallas 114Feb 26, 2016 – Dallas 122 vs. Denver 116Nov 28, 2015 – Dallas 92 vs. Denver 81
Injury Report for Denver
Nikola Jokic: Game-Time Decision (Knee)Vlatko Cancar: Out (Hip)Jamal Murray: Out (Knee)
Injury Report for Dallas
Boban Marjanovic: Game-Time Decision (Back)Sterling Brown: Out (Ankle)Kristaps Porzingis: Out (Back)
