After a thrilling overtime win in Sacramento last night, the Mavericks flew into Denver to take on the Nuggets in the high altitude of Denver. Resting Dirk Nowitzki, Rajon Rondo, and Tyson Chandler on the second night of this back-to-back, Dallas gave significant minutes to players deeper down their bench, like Dwight Powell and Greg Smith. Smith started along with Richard Jefferson and Raymond Felton alongside usual starters Monta Ellis and Chandler Parsons. Nothing much was out of the ordinary for Denver, but the newly acquired Jameer Nelson did not play. 

Without three of their best players, Dallas had eight players score in double figures, led by J.J. Barea with 17. Denver got a game-high 29 out of Ty Lawson, and 22 out of Kenneth Faried. Faried had a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds. 

Dallas started fast with a 7-2 lead to open the game, capped off by a Richard Jefferson three. Later in the quarter, Arron Afflalo hit a three to give Denver their first lead of the game at 12-11, the start of an 8-0 run to give Denver a 17-11 lead. Dallas came back to tie it at 24, but Denver took the last four points of the quarter to lead 28-24 after one. 

Early on in the second, Dallas got within one at 36-35, but they would not be able to take the lead for the rest of the half. Despite staying within a bucket most of the quarter, a 14-8 run over the last five-plus minutes of the quarter gave Denver a 59-50 lead at the break.

Denver pushed its lead to double digits with the opening bucket of the second quarter and from there, the lead just swelled. They led by as many as 19 in the frame. At 78-59, Dallas showed some fight. They went on a quick 8-0 run to get with 11 at 78-67, then inched closer, getting it down to single digits at 79-71 with just over two minutes left in the third. Denver closed the quarter strong and would take a 90-78 lead into the fourth. 

Denver got back up by 15 with 9:52 left in the game after outscoring Dallas, 6-3, in the first two-plus of the quarter. Dallas chipped away and got within a basket at 104-101 with 3:10 to go. But that was as close as Dallas would get, as Denver reeled off four quick points and closed the game out, winning by a final score of 110-104. 

These two teams will meet in Dallas Friday night.