Kristaps Porzingis had 29 points and 11 rebounds, Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and the Dallas Mavericks rallied past the Denver Nuggets 111-101 on Monday night.
Dallas opened the fourth period on a 17-6 run that included 3-pointers by Hardaway, Luka Doncic, Dorian Finney-Smith and Reggie Bullock to go ahead 98-88 with six minutes left, its largest lead to that point.
Doncic had 23 points and 11 assists and Jalen Brunson scored 17 off the bench for the Mavericks, who have won five of six.
Nikola Jokic scored a season-high 35 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for the Nuggets, who finished a back-to-back and had their five-game winning streak snapped.
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The Nuggets' largest lead was 13 early in the third period. Monte Morris scored 17 points, Aaron Gordon 14 and Austin Rivers 12 for Denver.
The score was tied 44-all with six minutes left in the first half before the Nuggets closed on a 14-5 run. The 58-49 lead was their largest of the half. And as the teams walked off, Doncic was given a technical foul for complaining about a non-call on his drive seconds earlier.
Denver entered allowing 98 points per game, fewest in the NBA. After the Mavericks scored 35 in the first quarter and led by three, they were held to 14 points in the second quarter on 22.7% shooting from the floor.
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Nuggets guard Will Barton, the team leader in minutes per game, missed his second consecutive game with lower back tightness.
It was the fourth time in 14 games that Denver has allowed 100 or more points this season.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Jokic had a double-double at halftime: 13 points and 10 rebounds. . After winning at home against Portland on Sunday night, Monday's loss left Denver 1-2 in the second game of back-to-backs. . F Michael Porter Jr. has been out since leaving the Nov. 8 game against Miami with lower back soreness. He missed the last four games before Monday.
Mavericks: Doncic has three technicals this season. . Reserve forward Maxi Kleber missed his seventh straight game with a strained left oblique.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Host the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
Mavericks: At the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday and Friday.
