The Dallas Mavericks needed a clean close. They got it by the slimmest of margins. On the second night of a back-to-back, Dallas outlasted the Denver Nuggets 131-130 in a heart-stopper in Dallas, led by Cooper Flagg’s 33-point, 9-rebound, 9-assist near triple-double and Anthony Davis’s 31 and 9. A frantic final minute, a clutch barrage of threes, and one last Denver miss at the horn turned a December game into a statement the Mavericks badly needed.

Cooper Flagg sets the tone — and keeps his cool

Flagg did a little bit of everything. He drove, he found shooters, and he made the biggest shots of the night. His career-high fourth made three came with 3:17 to play, pushing Dallas ahead 126-121 when the game was wobbling. That stroke steadied the building and his teammates. It was the kind of moment that makes a team believe late leads won’t slip away.

Flagg finished with 33 points on a night when Dallas needed every one of them. The nine boards and nine dimes were just as important. He was the connector and the closer.

“Cooper Flagg didn’t just score — he solved the fourth quarter.”

Anthony Davis delivers power and poise for the Mavericks

While Flagg stretched the floor and controlled the tempo, Davis set the edge inside. He poured in 31 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and added 4 assists. Davis’s presence helped Dallas handle Denver’s size and skill, especially during the Nuggets’ third-quarter surge.

This was the one-two punch Dallas has been searching for. Together, Flagg and Davis combined for 64 points and constant pressure. Those touches matter against Denver, a team that reads and reacts as well as anyone in the league.

“This is the version of Anthony Davis Dallas needs every night.”

Mavericks vs. Nuggets: the final minutes that decided it

The finishing stretch had everything. After Flagg’s big three made it 126-121, Naji Marshall stepped up with a corner dagger — a 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 131-125 with 1:12 left. Dallas seemed home.

But Denver does not go away. The Nuggets clawed back to 131-130 and forced a 24-second violation with seconds remaining, giving themselves a final shot to win it. The buzzer-beating 3 was on line but off, and Dallas finally exhaled. For a team that had dropped two straight games after losing late leads, this time the script flipped.

Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic make it a thriller

Denver’s stars were brilliant. Jamal Murray put up 31 points and a masterful 14 assists to keep the offense humming. Nikola Jokic matched the playmaking with 14 assists of his own and scored 29. The only thing missing was glass control — his 7 rebounds were a season low — and that margin mattered in a one-point game.

The Nuggets also got a huge lift from Tim Hardaway Jr., who rose up with a season-high seven 3-pointers on his way to 23 points. On a night when Denver needed shooting on tired legs, he delivered.

“Denver’s stars were brilliant, but 11 straight road wins end on one missed shot.”

How the game swung: a tale of three quarters

Dallas blitzed Denver early, riding energy and shotmaking to a 41-27 first quarter and a 50-29 lead early in the second. That cushion mattered because the third quarter belonged to the Nuggets. Denver stormed out of halftime with a 47-37 frame, slicing through gaps, hitting threes, and turning defense into quick points. Early in the fourth, the Nuggets took their first lead at 106-103.

From there, it was a back-and-forth sprint. The Mavericks’ late threes from Flagg and Marshall, plus just enough defense, closed the door. The final last-second Denver look didn’t fall, and Dallas had its biggest gut-check win of December.

Back-to-back backdrop and why this win matters

Both teams arrived carrying last night on their legs. Denver returned from a 135-112 home win over Utah, while Dallas came home from a 119-113 loss in New Orleans. The fatigue showed in stretches — quick runs, then lulls — and it amplified every small edge.

That’s why this result registers. The Nuggets came in at 21-7 and riding an 11-game road win streak; they leave at 21-8 after one short miss at the horn. The Mavericks, now 12-19, didn’t just beat an elite team. They handled the moment that has hurt them lately: closing time.

Season series and a broadcast throwback

This wasn’t a one-off. Dallas also won the first meeting this month, a 131-121 victory in Denver on Dec. 1. If you’re tracking the matchup, that’s two high-scoring wins for the Mavericks against a top-tier West opponent.

And for longtime viewers, there was a little TV nostalgia in the mix: the game aired on NBC, the first Mavericks game on the network since Game 4 of the 2002 NBA Finals. Fittingly, it felt like a classic — fast, loud, and decided at the wire.

What’s next for both contenders

For Dallas, the blueprint is clear: let Flagg handle in space, keep Davis active inside, and trust shooters like Marshall to punish help. The late-game poise they found here can travel. It needs to, because the margin for error is thin when you’re climbing from 12-19.

For Denver, there’s no panic in a one-point road loss on a back-to-back. Murray looked sharp and in control; Jokic controlled pace and created looks for everyone. Clean up the small stuff on the glass and in the final minute, and the Nuggets’ profile remains championship level — even on tired legs.

One shot decided this one. One more rebound might have changed it. On a December night with playoff energy, Dallas made just enough plays, and that’s the kind of win that can change a week, a month, and maybe a season.