Nuggets’ Road Streak Ends in Dallas, But Injury to Cameron Johnson Looms Larger
The Denver Nuggets saw their franchise-record 11-game road win streak snapped in a 131-130 thriller against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night. But as tough as the one-point loss was, the real gut punch came midway through the game when forward Cameron Johnson went down with a right knee injury - and didn’t return.
Johnson, the last healthy starter standing alongside Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray, collided knees with a Mavericks player while going up for a rebound. He immediately hit the floor in pain, slamming the hardwood before being helped off by trainers.
Initially listed as questionable with a knee sprain, Johnson never made it back into the game. Now, the Nuggets are holding their breath ahead of an MRI.
A Shorthanded Squad, and a Missed Opportunity
With Johnson out, Denver leaned even more heavily on Peyton Watson - who’s just coming back from injury himself. Watson has been holding down a starting role with Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun both sidelined, but Tuesday wasn’t his night offensively. He didn’t register a single made field goal.
Still, with the game on the line, Nikola Jokić put his trust in him.
Down one with seconds remaining, Jokić was swarmed by four defenders on the final possession. Rather than force a contested look, the two-time MVP kicked it out to a wide-open Watson in the corner.
The shot looked good - it rolled around the rim - but ultimately rimmed out. Heartbreaker.
Assistant coach David Adelman backed the decision postgame, saying both Jokić and Murray made the right reads. “Four guys were on Nikola,” Adelman said.
“Peyton’s been lethal from the corners.” It was the right play - it just didn’t fall.
Adelman also voiced frustration over a late shot clock violation that halted a Nuggets possession and kept them from executing another potential scoring opportunity.
A Furious Comeback That Fell Just Short
The loss overshadowed what had been a gutsy comeback effort from Denver. The Nuggets dug themselves a 21-point hole early, then clawed back to erase a second double-digit deficit in the third quarter - their highest-scoring period of the season with 47 points. They poured in 27 points in the final 4:20 of the third to tie the game heading into the fourth, all while playing the second night of a back-to-back.
It was the kind of effort that championship-caliber teams find a way to summon, even when the bodies are dropping.
Jokić and Murray were both spectacular again. The duo combined for 60 points, 14 assists apiece, and seven rebounds each.
Jokić finished with 29, Murray with 31. But outside of a red-hot Tim Hardaway Jr., who knocked down seven threes on his way to 23 points, and a 13-point spark from Bruce Brown off the bench, the Nuggets didn’t get much else in the scoring column.
No other player hit double figures.
And right now, with Gordon, Braun, and now Johnson out, Denver’s depth is being stretched to the limit.
Dallas’ Young Star Shines Bright
While Denver’s stars did their part, it was Dallas’ dynamic duo that stole the spotlight. Anthony Davis - now in the twilight of his career but still a force - dropped 31 points. But it was rookie sensation Cooper Flagg who made history.
Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to put up a 33-9-9 stat line, and he did it with poise that belied his age. The top pick from this past summer is already looking like the real deal, and his performance was a major reason Dallas held off Denver’s late push.
Injuries Piling Up, Questions Mounting
The concern now shifts to Johnson’s knee. The injury looked bad in real time, and it’s especially cruel timing - he was coming off what may have been his best performance as a Nugget just 24 hours earlier. Coach Adelman said postgame, “Hopefully it’s better than it looked,” but the team won’t know more until Johnson undergoes an MRI.
As for the rest of the injury report: Braun could be back in a matter of weeks, but Gordon’s return is trending slower. That leaves the Nuggets leaning heavily on their two stars and patching together the rest of the rotation with whoever is available.
What’s Next
Denver is back home on Christmas night to host the Minnesota Timberwolves in a marquee matchup that caps the NBA’s five-game holiday slate. After that, the Nuggets embark on their longest road trip of the season, not returning to Ball Arena until mid-January.
The road ahead doesn’t get easier - but if there’s one thing this team has shown, it’s that they’ll keep swinging, even when the deck is stacked.