Nikola Jokic had 37 points, 18 rebounds and 15 assists, Michael Porter Jr. hit a go-ahead floater with 6.5 seconds left and the host Denver Nuggets overcame a big night from Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving to beat Dallas 122-120 on Sunday night.
Jokic notched his sixth triple-double of the season, and it took him less than three quarters to do so.
Irving finished with a season-high 43 points on 17-for-22 shooting from the field. He made six of his eight 3-point attempts.
Jamal Murray scored 18 points, Porter added 17 and Peyton Watson finished with 16 for Denver, which swept a five-game homestand. Christian Braun scored 14 points, and Julian Strawther contributed 12.
Irving hit three long 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter to turn what was once a four-point lead by Denver into a 105-102 Mavericks advantage. Murray hit a pair of turnaround jumpers before Irving hit another shot from deep, then the Nuggets scored the next seven points to go ahead 113-108 with 4:45 left in the game.
Luka Doncic rattled off five straight points to tie the game, and Naji Marshall, who had 11 points on the night, later converted a three-point play to give Dallas a 116-115 lead.
Murray soon went 1-for-3 from the free-throw line to tie the game once again, and Irving and Jokic hit two shots apiece down the stretch to knot things at 120 with 48.7 seconds remaining.
Irving had a trey blocked with 29.6 seconds left and Porter got the rebound before nailing his 14-footer to give the Nuggets the lead for good.
Doncic had 24 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, Daniel Gafford scored 16 points and Klay Thompson finished with 10 for the Mavericks, who have dropped back-to-back games in the final 10 seconds of regulation.
Dallas led 63-60 at halftime, but the Nuggets hit a pair of triples in the first 1:09 of the third quarter to grab a 66-65 edge. Denver later used a 10-1 run to build a 93-84 cushion with 2:48 remaining, and it took a 97-94 lead into the fourth.
–Field Level Media