DENVER_The Mavericks have been a better road team since Christmas than they have been at home.
Their showing Saturday night at Denver reaffirmed that, even if it wasn't a winning effort as the Nuggets survived for a 91-89 victory.
After two lousy outings on their home floor, the Mavericks took to the mile-high air at Pepsi Center and they had a wonderful chance to win, but as has been the case all season, they couldn't close it out.
The game was tied at 89 with 1:17 to go when Salah Mejri and Nikola Jokic scrambled for a rebound under the basket. A review showed that it went off Mejri and the Nuggets had control in what had been a close game virtually throughout.
That set up Jokic's 20-footer with 1:12 to go. He finished with a triple double. Neither team could score as Harrison Barnes threw up an ill-advised 3-pointer and the Mavericks had to come up with two stops on the other end.
They had a chance in the final seconds. First, Dennis Smith Jr. got blocked on a drive to the rim. After a timeout with 3.9 to go, the Mavericks worked a play for Wesley Matthews to win it, but his 3-pointer was off the right side of the rim.
The Mavericks were able to hang close throughout the game and went ahead 69-66 on a 3-pointer by Kyle Collinsworth with 57 seconds left in the third quarter.
Maxi Kleber followed with another triple and Barnes got a put-back of a Yogi Ferrell miss. Suddenly the Mavericks were up 74-66 going into the fourth quarter.
