They are going for good: the mavs nation two player want to leave the team

Jokic beat the Nuggets and Timberwolves, and the Mavs beat the Spurs.
Nikola Jokic scored 35 points as the Denver Nuggets held off the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half for a 115-112 victory over their Western Conference rivals on Tuesday.

Serbian star Jokic led Denver to the goal line after Minnesota erased an 18-point deficit in the second quarter and gave the defending NBA champions a huge scare. Minnesota, which lost Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert to injuries, had a last-ditch effort to force overtime with only Anthony Edwards’ off-the-rim 3-pointer.

Denver moved into second place in the Western Conference with 48 wins and 21 losses. The Oklahoma City Thunder lead the way with 47 wins and 20 losses, while Minnesota sits firmly in third place with 47 wins and 22 losses.

The Timberwolves came back in the game with back-to-back shots in the third quarter, outscoring Denver 29-17 thanks to 14 points from Edwards, who finished with 30 points. However, Denver’s defensive adjustments slowed Edwards’ scoring in the fourth quarter and the Nuggets held on.

“We threw extra bodies at him,” Denver coach Michael Malone said of the tactical play in the fourth quarter that stopped Edwards. “Any guy trying to protect Anthony Edwards is a challenge for any NBA player, so we threw our bodies at him and tried to get him the ball.”
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 113-107 in the Texas Derby, with Kyrie Irving scoring 28 points and Luka Doncic recording his 18th triple-double of the season.

Dallas enters the final month of the regular season with a 40-29 record, maintaining seventh place in the Western Conference and just outside of the automatic playoff spot. Doncic contributed 18 points, 16 assists, and 10 rebounds to Dallas’ second straight victory.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd admitted his team forced the win even though they didn’t play their best. “That definitely counts as a W. Not every win is a good one,” Kidd said. “We are counting on our defense to get this win.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said his team, 15-54 in the Western Conference, paid the price for too many turnovers.

“We outplayed them, outplayed them in the third and fourth quarters and had about the same number of turnovers,” Popovich said. “But we had 16 turnovers and that was the difference in the game.”

But Popovich was encouraged by the young team’s signs of progress.

“Our goal is to get better each game individually and as a team, and these guys accomplished that,” Popovich said. “They played their hardest to win. You can’t ask for anything else.

In other games, the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Brooklyn Nets 104-91 on the road in New York, continuing their recent run with three straight wins. After the lead changed hands twice in the first quarter, the Pelicans dominated throughout the second half, taking a 24-point lead just before halftime and maintaining a healthy double-digit lead for the rest of the game.

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson led the way with 28 points, seven rebounds and four assists on a night where seven New Orleans players scored in double figures. “I think the first half really set the tone. The second half was a little sloppy, but overall it was a really good effort from our players,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green said.

Mr. Green was pleased that several members of the team contributed significantly to the performance. “It’s important that every player that touches the floor competes, rebounds and shares the ball,” Green said.

“Overall, if you put your mind to it, it’s possible.”

The Orlando Magic defeated the Charlotte Hornets 112-92, extending their winning streak to four games. The Houston Rockets defeated the Washington Wizards 137-114 on the road, led by Jalen Green’s 42 points and Armen Thompson’s 25 points.