The Denver Nuggets started their first of two straight games in Dallas against the Mavericks this afternoon and looked like they hadn’t quite woke up when the game began. They eventually figured it out and mounted a comeback only to fall behind by double digits again…and then come back again. Aaron Gordon made his return to the rotation while Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook took over the final six minutes of the game and the Nuggets get a hard fought win 112-101.

Denver struggled to score to open the game. It took them over two and a half minutes to get their first points and Dallas established an early lead. It kept growing and when Klay Thompson knocked down a three to make it eleven the Nuggets took a timeout. It didn’t help them get any stops, or any buckets for that matter. Halfway through the quarter the Denver was trailing 21-5. At the four minute mark Gordon checked in the game with the Nuggets trailing by fifteen. Turnovers were killing them and preventing them from mounting any sort of comeback. Denver stayed trailing in that fifteen point range down the stretch of the quarter and that’s where they were at when it ended. After one Denver was down 32-17.

Denver’s bench group matched the Mavericks to open the second quarter with Westbrook and DeAndre Jordan playing well. They trimmed the lead down to eleven and forced a Dallas timeout. The bench unit continued their push but the Mavericks got enough buckets to stay up by ten when Jokic checked back in. Dallas stopped the bleeding right around there, plus the Nuggets continued to turn the ball over. With the quarter passing the midway point the teams started trading threes for a couple minutes. Denver kept the Mavericks lead under ten by hitting more threes and started to close the gap entirely in the final minutes. They went on a 7-0 run to close out the half and went to the locker room trailing 61-58.

Denver got the first two buckets of the second half to get their first lead of the game but Dereck Lively II responded with a strong post game against Michael Porter Jr. Both teams went cold on offense after that with Dallas holding a slim lead. With just under eight minutes to go the Mavs grew their lead up to a couple possessions before Westbrook finally got a bucket for Denver. Thompson was feeling it again and almost single handedly pushed the lead back to double digits. The Nuggets went back into their bad habits with turnovers and Dallas’s lead continued to grow. The Nuggets were looking frustrated and still struggled to hit their shots with the quarter winding down. Murray got a little something going right near the end of the quarter and that got Denver a little closer. After three they were down 89-79.

Murray opened the fourth quarter hot and led a big Denver run to open the fourth. They were down just two when the Mavericks called timeout around the nine and a half minute mark. A DeAndre Jordan alley-oop dunk tied the game at 91. The bench went back and forth with Dallas for another couple minutes and then Jokic checked back in with Denver trailing by one. The momentum started swinging in Denver’s favor, a Joker layup put them up by three with just over four minutes left. A little bit later the Nuggets got a 7-0 run, capped by a Murray oop to Porter, to take their biggest lead of the game with under two minutes to go. That proved to be the dagger and Denver was able to close it out withe ease. They win 112-101.

Welcome back Aaron Gordon

Jan 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) warms up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

AG didn’t get the start tonight and was on a minute restriction but he was a welcome sight. He hit his first six shots and showed off that offensive versatility from the forward spot combined with solid defense and rebounding that makes him Mr. Nugget. Denver has sorely missed Gordon this season but guys like Peyton Watson also have got valuable minutes while AG was out. Now that the Nuggets are getting healthy, their bench feels more complete with the way guys like Watson, Westbrook and Julian Strawther have been stepping up. Hopefully everyone can stay healthy and be ready with the stretch run in the not too distant future.

The bench was huge

Having Gordon with the reserve group helped that unit tonight for sure but major kudos needs to go to that group in general. Jordan, Gordon, Strawther & Watson played big minutes in both the second and fourth quarters when the Nuggets were trailing big and they sparked runs both times to get the Nuggets back into the game. Once Russ goes back with this group I think Nuggets fans can feel pretty confident about their reserve group. Yes, Watson will need to continue to hit outside shots, yes, you can’t rely on Jordan for more than a handful of minutes and yes, Strawther’s defense is still suspect but there’s reason to hope that midway through the season the Nuggets have found their reserve group.