Without Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks showed their character by defeating the Denver Nuggets 123-120 in a hard-fought game.
Jason Kidd commended the team’s fortitude and faith as they surmounted obstacles to win for the fourth time in a row.
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Denver Nuggets in a close game, and Jason Kidd commended them for their tenacity. Despite losing Luka Doncic and having to contend with Nikola Jokic’s triple-double, the Mavericks prevailed 123-120 in Friday’s NBA Cup game. Seven of their players scored in double figures for the third straight game.
With a 24-point advantage early in the third quarter, the Mavericks appeared to be coasting. But before the last quarter, the Nuggets narrowed the lead with a ferocious 28-9 run. Dallas, however, kept their cool to win for the fourth time in a row.
“We were here ten days ago, we learnt from that situation, we kept our composure,” Kidd said, highlighting the defensive efforts and spirit of his side. This group remained united. They executed big plays offensively and made critical defensive stops, he said.
“We didn’t finish the game ten days ago,” Kidd continued, looking back on previous encounters. However, the men took charge. On defence, we took the necessary actions. The group concentrated on fixing minor errors from earlier meetings. It was difficult to play on the road without Luka Doncic.
On the road, Kidd admitted, “Again without Luka, we were just in this situation in Oklahoma City.” He underlined that games are too close to permit last-minute errors.
The win raised Dallas’ NBA Cup status in West Group C and improved their record to 9-7. After defeating the New Orleans Pelicans, they are now 2-1 in group play, behind only the Golden State Warriors, who are undefeated at 3-0.
The Career of Naji Marshall 
Night Naji Marshall scored a career-high 26 points in an incredible performance coming off the bench. He maintained his form by scoring 16 points in the first half of Friday’s game, after making a big contribution against the Pelicans earlier in the week.
Marshall’s contributions were praised by Kidd: “Just the trust. For us, Marshall was playing incredibly well. He cited Marshall’s clutch floater with one second remaining in the shot clock as evidence of his teammates’ faith in him.
Despite injuries this season, Dallas has adopted a “next man up” approach. This flexibility was noted by Kidd, who said, “This team has a lot of character, a lot of trust and we’re becoming a team – it’s still early in the season.”
