Dorian Finney-Smith hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 17.3 seconds remaining to lift the Dallas Mavericks past the Denver Nuggets 116-115 on Tuesday night.
Finney-Smith’s top-of-the-key three-pointer saved the Mavericks from another fourth-quarter, double-digit meltdown one possession after Nuggets guard Bruce Brown pushed the Nuggets ahead by 1 point (112-111) on a corner three.
Luka Doncic recorded his 52nd career triple-double and NBA-best sixth triple-double of the season with 22 points, 12 assists, and ten rebounds. But the support from Finney-Smith, who had 19 points, and Tim Hardaway Jr., who finished with a season-high 29 points, was crucial to the win.
Hardaway Jr. was particularly vital down the stretch. His three-pointer off a Doncic assist with five minutes remaining put Dallas up 107-99 and forced the Nuggets to call timeout.
A minute later, Hardaway Jr.’s uncontested transition layup pushed the Mavericks’ lead to 111-101. Another minute after that, he stepped in on defense to take a charge, one of Denver’s 17 turnovers.
With just over 4 minutes remaining, Dallas appeared to have the game under control. But the Nuggets went on an 11-0 run, jumping in front on Brown’s three-pointer, prompting many to worry the Mavericks would lose despite once leading by double digits for the sixth time in 24 games.
In the end, all the Nuggets’ scoring run did was set the stage for Finney-Smith’s clutch three-pointer.
Two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic had a chance to tie the game for Denver with 12 seconds remaining but missed the first of two free throws. Spencer Dinwiddie subsequently hit two free throws to help seal the win for the Mavericks and hand the Nuggets their third consecutive loss.
WHAT TO KNOW
The Mavericks hardly looked tired as they played the second game of a back-to-back in front of Denver’s difficult home-court advantage. They beat the Western Conference-leading Phoenix Suns the night before in Dallas.
The Mavericks had positioned themselves as best as possible to endure the second night of a back-to-back in Denver’s mile-high altitude. Blowout wins in the Mavericks’ last two games, against the Knicks on Saturday and Suns on Monday, allowed Doncic and other key players to rest for each fourth quarter.
Still, Doncic started slow, not scoring for the first ten minutes of the game and taking just three shot attempts in the first period. He still closed the first quarter on a triple-double pace with eight points.
The Mavericks fared much better than the last time they played the second game of a back-to-back in Denver’s low-pressure, low-oxygen atmosphere. Dallas’ 31-point loss in October 2021 was a low point in the season, with the Mavericks mustering just 75 points and shooting a season-low 29.5% from the floor.
BY THE NUMBERS
Hardaway Jr. has been on an offensive tear for the Mavericks. Hardaway contributed a pair of threes and three free throws during a 12-2 Dallas run midway through the third period to negate the Nuggets’ early-quarter burst.
He sank another three a couple of minutes later to reach 12 points in the quarter and become the 10th player in the history of the NBA to make at least five three-pointers in five consecutive games.
After making six of eight three-point attempts Tuesday, Hardaway improved his four-game three-point shooting percentage to start December to 25-of-44 (56.8%).
The Mavericks were also buoyed by a strong performance from the foul line, finishing 27-of-31 on free throws.
WHO SAID
Hardaway’s offensive boost was needed, giving Dallas its first win this season in a game in which Doncic has scored less than 30 points.
“I think every team needs to have a big game, I would say, to feel like they’re getting some juice,” Hardaway said. “When Luka’s having to collapse a defense, bring two guys to him, we’ve just got to make his job a lot easier and knock down shots.”
Finney-Smith also credited Hardaway for his go-ahead three-pointer inside 20 seconds.
“I’m just trying to feed off his energy,” Finney-Smith said of Hardaway. “I finally got something to go in tonight, too. When you’re genuinely happy for somebody, it takes the pressure off you to make shots.”
FREE THROWS
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was asked about social media posts from fans questioning why promising rookie Jaden Hardy is not receiving more minutes. Hardy did not see the court against the Nuggets on Tuesday after scoring ten points in the final minutes of the blowout win against the Suns.
Kidd explained there are simply not enough minutes to go around.
“Maybe we should bring Luka up and ask, does he want to play less? Or Spencer?” Kidd said. “You just have to be patient. I know society isn’t patient, or Twitter isn’t patient because they want it now — fantasy leagues and all that. My job is to put those guys in a position to be successful. Right now, we’ve got a good thing going. Twitter isn’t the coach or the player.”
NEXT UP
The Mavericks will host the Eastern Conference’s second-place team, the Milwaukee Bucks, on Friday night.
