NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking Points from Denver Nuggets vs Dallas Mavericks

Coming into this game, the Nuggets had lost four of their last six and were desperate for a win at home. The Mavericks did not let go of the game until the very dying minutes when the Joker pulled a buzzer beater out of his hat to hand the visitors a heartbreaking 100-99 loss.

In a match-up between the West's second-best and second-worst team on the standings, it sure never looked like a one-sided affair. The Nuggets came back in the final period, and were almost at the brink of losing the game.

With this win, Denver are now just 1 game behind the first place Warriors in the West. They have now won six of their last ten match-ups and currently host a 45-22(0.672) win-loss record on the season.

On the other hand, the loss added insult to the already wrecked Mavericks season as they find themselves fixated at the 14th spot on the Western Conference leaderboard. Led by rookie sensation Luka Doncic, Dallas are currently 27-41(0.397) on the season, having lost nine of their last ten games.

Let's draw out some talking points from this thrilling Mavericks-Nuggets encounter that went down to the wire.

#1 Luka Doncic's emphatic dunk is met by Jokic's buzzer-beater

Nikola Jokic is averaging a near-triple-double this season

With around 10 seconds remaining in the game, Doncic had the ball in his hands with the Nuggets up by 1. He beat Mason Plumlee with his quick first step and before the defense collapsed on him, and he had dunked it down hard and had been fouled in the act.

The Slovenian missed the free-throw that followed, giving Denver 5.8 seconds to make something happen. Jamal Murray in-bounded the ball to Nikola Jokic who dribbled it down to as near to the rim as Powell allowed him to. He twisted and turned but Powell's defense was solid. Eventually, the Joker took a bump and threw an off-balance right-handed floater that went in as the clock expired.

"I felt like he was going to block it, so I just go to the right hand and throw it somehow. And the ball went in," Jokic said. "Powell played really good defense. He was right there but I made a lucky shot."

According to ESPN NBA stats & Info,

It's the 1st game-winning buzzer-beater by a Nuggets center in the last 15 seasons.

Jokic finished with a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds, along with 8 rebounds while Doncic finished ended up with a near-triple-double of 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists.

#2 Paul Millsap comes up big on the offensive end of the floor

Paul Millsap plays power forward for the Nuggets.

Millsap has really played a prominent role in the Nuggets' surge to dominance in the West. Coming off an impressive 23-point performance against the T-Wolves, the 33-year-old put together his season-high total in a game that was not for the Nuggets' taking.

Despite Jokic's miraculous buzzer beater getting all the attention, it will be unfair to ignore the fact that it was Paul's hefty contribution throughout the night that put his team in a position to win in the first place.

"That's what we need him (Jokic) to do. He's been doing it for us all year," teammate Paul Millsap said. "He's got my vote for MVP, for sure."

Millsap finished with 33 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal, shooting 14-of-19 from the floor in the 36 minutes he was on the court.

#3 The Dallas Mavericks have a lot of positives to draw out of this game

Dallas Mavericks did not falter against quality opposition

Four Mavs starters scored at least 15 points, led by the rookie's 24. Hardaway and Brunson combined for 37 points while Powell had an efficient 16 points and 10 rebounds night to go along.

To the crowd's delight, Dirk went 3-4 from downtown and finished with 9 points. The Mavericks, as a team, were better than their opponents from beyond the arc, shooting 33.4% in the heartbreaking loss.

Dallas effected 8 steals out of the Nuggets' offense and turned them over 11 times during the game.

Backup power forward Maximilian Kleber provided valuable minutes off the bench, contributing 11 points and 11 rebounds in 29 minutes of playtime. All in all, the Mavericks were just one lucky shot away from beating the West's second-best team, and that tells a lot about the character of this young team and the resilience they carry.