Stats rundown: 3 numbers from a Dallas Mavericks win over the Denver Nuggets, 116-115

Dec 7, 2022 - 7:00 AM

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The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Denver Nuggets Tuesday night in Denver, winning 116-115. The win brings the Mavericks’ record to 12-11, seventh in the West. The loss drops the Nuggets to 14-10, sitting at fifth.

Tim Hardaway Jr. led all scorers with 29 points. Luka Doncic produced another triple double, his sixth of the season, putting up 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 27 points, while Bones Hyland chipped in 20 off the bench.

Here are three numbers from the game:

47: The Mavericks percentage on 3-pointers

The Mavericks continue to shoot well, going 17-of-36 from deep against the Nuggets. Dorian Finney-Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. went 11-of-18 combined from behind the arc. Any team is tough to beat when they shoot almost 50 percent on 3-pointers, but the Mavericks are especially deadly. They’re built to beat teams with shooting.

19: The number of fast break points by the Mavericks

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back and their third game in four nights, the typically plodding Mavericks looked like the rested team tonight. They outscored the Nuggets 19-14 in fast break points. Dallas is dead last in the NBA in fast break points, averaging 10 per game. Almost doubling that number in a close game was huge.

27: The number of assists by the Mavericks

The Mavericks don’t exactly zip the ball around the court most nights, instead relying on Doncic isolations that usually end in one pass. They’re 28th in the NBA in assists, averaging just over 21 per game. Tonight, though, they moved the ball around the perimeter as well as into the paint. Almost everyone had a nifty pass for an assist. It was a refreshing display of moving the ball by Dallas.

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