DEN 142, DAL 135: Nikola Jokić's 19-Assist Masterpiece
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student · Dallas Mavericks fan
Jamal Murray's 53-Point Explosion Carries Nuggets Past Mavs in Denver Shootout
Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. As a Mavs fan watching from Austin, that one stung. Denver just dropped 142 on us in a game that felt like a pickup league rather than playoff-positioning basketball. But here's the thing about fantasy, you separate the pain from the profit, and profit we must extract from what went down.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokić | 82.0 | 78.7 | 23/21/19 | 27.8/12.8/10.8 | -4.8 |
| Jamal Murray | 78.0 | 62.2 | 53/6/4 | 25.4/4.4/7.1 | +27.6 |
| Cooper Flagg | 62.0 | 55.1 | 26/8/7 | 20.4/6.6/4.7 | +5.6 |
| P.J. Washington | 42.0 | 41.5 | 19/15/1 | 14.3/7.1/1.8 | +4.7 |
| Peyton Watson | 36.0 | 30.3 | 21/4/3 | 15.0/4.9/2.0 | +6.0 |
| Naji Marshall | 27.0 | 30.3 | 22/4/3 | 15.4/4.8/3.3 | +6.6 |
| Brandon Williams | 21.0 | 21.4 | 11/2/6 | 12.8/2.9/3.8 | -1.8 |
| Khris Middleton | 23.0 | 21.1 | 11/3/5 | 10.7/3.8/3.0 | +0.3 |
| Cameron Johnson | 25.0 | 19.7 | 12/1/3 | 11.9/3.7/2.4 | +0.1 |
| Christian Braun | 18.0 | 18.6 | 11/3/4 | 11.7/4.8/2.9 | -0.7 |
The Murray Takeover
Jamal Murray went absolutely nuclear. 53 points on 19-28 shooting with 9 threes. That's 62.2 Yahoo fantasy points, and the dude was +27.6 versus his season average. This isn't a fluke noise either. Murray finished 6-6 from the free throw line, didn't turn it over, and played 41 minutes of absolute confidence basketball. He's All-NBA Second Team caliber, and on nights like this, he reminds you why Denver's offense flows through him just as much as it does through Nikola Jokić.
For fantasy purposes, Murray's a hold at literally any cost right now. Can you trade for him? Try. Probably won't work, but try. This is the kind of performance that makes you believe in a player's upside when the stakes matter most down the stretch.
Jokić Does Jokić Things
The reigning All-NBA First Team center put up 23/21/19 with a steal and a block. That's 78.7 Yahoo points, and yeah, it's 4.8 points below his 27.8 season average, but here's what matters: he had 21 rebounds and 19 assists. The man turned the ball over zero times. He's still controlling the game even on nights when his scoring doesn't pop off. 6-6 from free throw, 8-19 from the field. Sometimes the All-NBA guy doesn't need to score 28 to be the best player on the floor.
The Flagg Emergence for Dallas
Cooper Flagg was the only Mavs player who showed up ready to actually compete. 26 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 55.1 Yahoo FP. That's +5.6 above his season average. He's proving he can hang with Denver's pace and execution, which matters because this dude is supposed to be our future and I need to believe he can actually lead us somewhere. At 20.4/6.6/4.7 for the season, he's been solid but tonight he looked All-NBA Third Team-level locked in.
The Role Guy Stack That Cooked
Here's what nobody talks about: Peyton Watson put up 30.3 Yahoo points off the bench (6.0 above average), and Naji Marshall was somehow also at 30.3 (6.6 above average). Watson shot 7-10 with 2 threes in 23 minutes. Marshall went 7-17 but 7-8 from free throw to hit 22 points in 29 minutes. Denver's depth is genuinely cheat code right now. These aren't all-stars but they're consistent contributors who feast in a system that creates easy buckets. If you've got either of these guys, you're in better shape than you think for the playoffs.
PJ Washington's Board Takeover
P.J. Washington grabbed 15 boards, which is +7.9 versus his 7.1 season average. He hit 19 points but it was the rebounding that mattered. He went 8-15 from the field and just out-worked Denver's frontcourt on the glass. For a guy who's been streaky this season, that's the kind of performance you build on. One game doesn't fix your season, but if Washington can provide this level of rebounding consistency, he becomes a lot more valuable in the fantasy rotation.
The Bigger Picture
Dallas is 0-2 to Denver this year now and it's getting ugly. But before you panic on any of our guys, remember: Cooper Flagg is still a top-5 fantasy asset, P.J. Washington just showed what he can do on the boards, and the team's got time to figure out how to compete with this Nuggets squad.
Denver is just built different this year. They've got the best player on the floor most nights, multiple All-NBA guys, and a depth bench that can bury you. For fantasy, you ride these performances. Murray is a must-start every single night. Jokić is still Jokić even when he's "only" dropping 78 fantasy points. And guys like Watson and Marshall? They're your late-round values that actually pay off.
The Mavs will figure something out. They better. But tonight, Denver just proved why they're in the conversation for a title run.