NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking Points as Denver Nuggets continue their supremacy in a close-fought 126-118 win against Dallas Mavericks

In Wednesday’s NBA Western Conference match the Dallas Mavericks visited the Pepsi Centre and went one-on-one against the host team, Denver Nuggets. Both the teams were playing high-quality basketball and showed no signs of giving up until the final minutes. It was a very good game for basketball's sakes and had a lot of crunch moments.

Denver Nuggets came into the match with 3 consecutive wins while the Mavs desperately needed a win to get back to winning ways.

And they started out very well, with their best player Luka Doncic leading the charge for them. But then Jokic and Co. Took charge and never let the game slip away from them.

Now, the Nuggets are on a 4-game winning streak while the Mavs are on a 3-game skid.

With all that in mind, let’s look at the 3 most important talking points from the game -

#3 Team effort from the Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets are showing why they’re the no.1 team in the West by defying all the odds. They play together like a team and complement each other perfectly.

In tonight’s game, 7 of their players were in double digits scoring numbers, including 4 starters. It was a clear variance compared to the team from Dallas.

As, for the Mavs, Luka Doncic and Harrison Barnes really played well and put in a lot of effort for their team but the other guys didn’t show up and as a result, the entire team suffered and their efforts went into vain.

Denver’s game made sure that they took care of what their starters left them with and gave a great effort in their win. They played tightly, scored effectively and grabbed crucial boards, to make sure they get the win.

#2 Unselfish display on offense from Denver

It is no hidden fact that Denver are one of the most unselfish teams in the league and tonight was just a small display of it. They play together as a team and win together as a team.

Tonight as well, they created a lot of amazing plays, took quality shots, and racked up plenty of assists - 33 to be exact. They are currently ranked at 3rd in total assists per game in the whole league, which is an amazing feat for a team like Denver.

What sharing the ball and making easy plays for teammates does is it creates team chemistry and makes the teammates trust each other well, which is very important for a team-centric sport like basketball.

On the other hand, the Mavericks just don’t have enough players who could contribute to their winning or help Luka Doncic in carrying his team to the playoffs. He can’t carry them all alone on his shoulders, in a wild Western Conference.

#1 Nuggets dominated the boards

Rebounding the ball is one of the most important things in a competitive league such as the NBA. It creates second-chance points or gives you an opportunity for a fast break. This is exactly what the Nuggets did tonight against the Dallas Mavericks.

League wise they are already one of the best rebounding teams and it reflects on the Western Conference seeds as well.

In tonight’s game, they made sure that they swept the boards and got easy second-chance points. Their best player Nikola Jokic led from the front with a double-double points-rebound. He had 16 rebounds to help his team get the win and keep building on the momentum. Other starters like Jamal Murray and Jason Plumlee also joined the party with 7 and 9 rebounds respectively.

For the Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic had an all-round game and came with a double-double of his own as he racked up 23 points and 12 assists.

In their next game, the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks will both face the Clippers respectively.