Denver Nuggets Lose 121–131 to Dallas Today | AD Drops 32, Murray Injured

Game Summary

The Denver Nuggets jumped out to a 17-point lead early but completely lost control in the second quarter, giving up 42 points and eventually falling 131–121 to the Dallas Mavericks at home.

Anthony Davis looked dominant in his second game back from injury, posting a season-high 32 points and 13 rebounds. Rookie Ryan Nembhard exploded for a career night with 28 points and 10 assists, while Cooper Flagg added 24 as Dallas secured back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

For Denver, Spencer Jones erupted for a career-high 28 points, and Nikola Jokic posted yet another monster triple-double with 29 points, 20 rebounds, and 13 assists — his 11th of the season.

Still, the Nuggets dropped their fourth straight home game, three of which came against teams below .500.
The night became even more concerning when Jamal Murray left early in the third quarter with a leg injury after briefly returning.

Denver went ice-cold late, missing ten straight shots during a decisive Dallas run. The Mavericks used an 18–5 burst to pull away, and the Nuggets never recovered.

Pre-Game Thoughts

Even without AG and Christian Braun — two of Denver’s defensive anchors — you’d still hope they could contain a Dallas team with the worst offensive rating in the league.
Spacing is rough right now, but with Murray and Jokic, the offense should survive… at least on paper.

Overall Impressions

Denver started the game beautifully behind Jokic, Murray, and a red-hot Spencer Jones.
Then things got shaky — Murray’s aggressive decisions led to a string of mistakes, and it felt like the momentum was slipping, but I still thought they’d stabilize.

But as usual this season, even when the Nuggets go through offensive droughts, they can’t stop anybody on the other end.
This should have been a game they dominated and closed out easily, yet it turned into a textbook “2025 Nuggets loss.”
Nothing gained, plenty of fatigue added.

They’re losing way too many games at home.
And if you’re forced to play Spencer Jones 38 minutes, something is fundamentally wrong with the rotation right now.

Quarter-by-Quarter Thoughts

1st Quarter

Jokic looked like he was about to put up a first-quarter triple-double.
The offense exploded, and Spencer Jones made his presence felt once again.
Murray was cooking — smooth as ever.

2nd Quarter

How does a team with the league’s worst offensive rating drop 40 points in a quarter on you?
Classic 2025 Nuggets.

3rd Quarter

Jamal Murray goes down grabbing his leg. Disaster scenario flashing through my brain.
Then he comes back somehow — what is the medical staff doing?
Denver looked like they were about to pull away but instead let Dallas right back in. Truly baffling quarter.

4th Quarter

The offense stalled completely, and they still couldn’t get stops.
By the time they realized the game was slipping away, it was too late.

Dallas closed strong; Denver never shifted into a higher defensive gear.
Just another slow collapse we’ve seen too many times this season.

Player Thoughts

Nikola Jokic

In the first quarter, it looked like he might actually drop a triple-double in 12 minutes.
But then he struggled with efficiency the rest of the way.
When Jokic is putting up a triple-double and still needs more shot attempts, Denver is in trouble.
As superhuman as he is, 40–15–15 nights aren’t something you can expect every week.

He feels annoyed and disengaged more often this season.
Honestly, I miss Mike Malone’s “angry tech” moments.

Jamal Murray

The worst-case scenario crosses your mind immediately with that injury.
Who cares how good he looked early — is he okay?
Letting him return after the initial injury scare felt irresponsible, especially after the CB situation. It’s hard not to feel uneasy.

If Murray misses significant time, Denver’s playoff positioning becomes shaky fast.
Even with Jokic (and Cam Johnson), this era isn’t one where you can “solo carry” into a top seed.
Praying for good news.

Cameron Johnson

Bare minimum performance.
He hit one three, but most of his shots didn’t look close.
Like MPJ, he’s a guy who “just by existing” helps spacing — but without Murray, AG, and CB, he needs to do more.
It feels unfair to expect that from him, but still.

Peyton Watson

Classic Peyton Watson experience.
Spectacular flashes mixed with head-scratching mistakes.

Spencer Jones

Some shaky moments defensively, but he erupted — 28 points on 4/6 from three.
Could have had 30 if he finished a couple of those loose layups.
This level of upside won’t happen every night, but if he can be a high-30s shooter consistently, Denver really has something here.

Tim Hardaway Jr.

Even on nights where his three isn’t falling, he’s grinding through 30 minutes because the rotation is that thin. Respect.

Bruce Brown

The finishing… yikes.
That’s fine, but the hot-headed stuff and technical fouls? Please stop.
CB is the only guy on this roster who can get away with that.

Jonas Valanciunas

Strong again.
Soft touch, great feel — he’s been reliably productive.

Zeke Nnaji

Five minutes. Two fouls.
Need more from him.

Jalen Pickett / Hunter Tyson / Katius Jones

No minutes today.

Christian Braun / Aaron Gordon / Julian Strawther

All out with injuries.
Is there any update on Strawther?

Next Game

A day off, then the Pacers.
I’d love a convincing win, but honestly, it feels like they might give up 150 at this rate.
More than anything: Murray’s health is the biggest concern.
If he just needs a few games off, fine — but a long-term injury would seriously threaten Denver’s playoff hopes.

Whatever happens, don’t rush him back.