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-pointer that put the Mavericks ahead 131-125 with 1:12 left.
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The Nuggets, trailing 50-29 early in the second quarter, took their first lead early in the fourth quarter and pulled within a point in the final minute, having a chance 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 failed.
The Mavericks snapped a two-game losing streak, during which they blew leads in the fourth quarter, and took the Nuggets’ first two games this season. They won 131-121 in Denver on December 1.
Jamal Murray had 31 points and 14 assists, and Nikola Jokic had 29 points and 14 assists for the Nuggets, who had their 11-game road winning streak snapped. Jokic, the NBA leader with an average of 12.1 rebounds, had seven to match his season low.
Denver’s Tim Hardaway Jr., a former Maverick, tied season highs with 23 points and seven 3-pointers.
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Both teams completed consecutive games. The Nuggets beat Utah 135-112 at home on Monday, while the Mavericks lost 119-113 in 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, making all seven of his field goal attempts, two of them from downtown.
Next
The Nuggets host Minnesota on Thursday and the Mavericks visit Golden State.
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NBA AP: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA