DALLAS (AP) — Cooper Flagg had 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and Anthony Davis had 31 points and nine rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Denver Nuggets 131-130 on Tuesday night.
Flagg’s career-high fourth 3-pointer gave Dallas a 126-121 lead with 3:17 left, and he assisted on Naji Marshall’s left-corner 3 that put the Mavericks ahead 131-125 with 1:12 left.
The Nuggets, who trailed 50-29 early in the second quarter, got their first lead early in the fourth quarter and pulled within a point in the final minute, having a shot to win after forcing the Mavericks into a 24-second violation with 7.8 seconds left. However, Peyton Watson’s 3-point attempt from the left corner at the buzzer rimmed out.
The Mavericks snapped a two-game losing streak, during which they blew fourth-quarter leads, and have taken the first two games from the Nuggets this season. They won 131-121 at Denver on Dec. 1.
Jamal Murray had 31 points and 14 assists, and Nikola Jokic had 29 points and 14 assists for the Nuggets, who had an 11-game road winning streak snapped. Jokic, the NBA leader averaging 12.1 rebounds, had seven to match his season low.
Denver’s Tim Hardaway Jr., a former Maverick, matched season highs with 23 points and seven 3-pointers.
Both teams completed back-to-backs. The Nuggets won 135-112 over Utah at home on Monday while the Mavericks lost 119-113 at New Orleans.
The Nuggets took their first lead 106-103 in the first minute of the fourth quarter.
Flagg, who has four double-doubles but no triple-doubles, tied his career high for points in a quarter with 14 in the first – hitting all seven field-goal attempts, two from downtown.
Up next
Nuggets host Minnesota on Thursday, and Mavericks visit Golden State.
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