Dec 1, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) controls the ball as Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) guards in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Three Takeaways From Nuggets' Deflating Loss to Mavericks

Originally posted on Denver Nuggets on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated Dec 1, 2025 11:35 PM ET

The Denver Nuggets suffered a crushing 131-121 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, falling to 14-6 on the season as they have now lost three of their last five games.

The Nuggets were led by Nikola Jokic with 29 points, 20 rebounds, and 13 assists in a losing effort, as even an incredible performance from the three-time MVP was not enough to take down the 7-15 Mavericks. Here are a few key takeaways from Monday's loss in Denver.

Spencer Jones NEEDS a standard contract

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

When Aaron Gordon went down with an injury, Spencer Jones began filling in for him in the starting lineup. At his worst, Jones is a high-level defender, so it was likely an easy decision for David Adelman to take a chance on the second-year forward. However, Jones continues to improve offensively every game.

In Monday's win, Jones finished with a new career-high 28 points and five rebounds, shooting 11-15 from the field and 4-6 from three-point range.

Spencer Jones' PTS scored:

26 — his entire rookie year
28 — tonight pic.twitter.com/gZpjznTqWT
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 2, 2025

Jones is still on a two-way contract, and after his performance over the past couple of games, it should be a no-brainer for the Nuggets to use their final roster spot to convert him to a standard deal.

Offense goes stale in crunch time

Despite some incredible performances from Jokic and Jones, the Nuggets' offense was nonexistent when it mattered most. The Nuggets trailed 117-118 with just under seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, but an 8-0 run by the Mavericks over the following five minutes would practically seal the game.

It’s an 8-0 run as Denver is near five minutes without a bucket. Nembhard puts Mavs up 126-117 with 1:57 to go. Nuggets trying to close with Hardaway, Johnson, Jones and Watson around Jokic.
— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) December 2, 2025

The Nuggets were ultimately outscored 29-17 in the final period, and scoring just four points in the final 6:30 of the game was simply unacceptable.

Another pitiful defensive performance

The Nuggets allowed the Mavericks to score 131 points on Monday night. In each of the Nuggets' last three losses, they have allowed 128+ points, and even though they have one of the top offenses in the NBA, they cannot sustain this level of defense.

Sure, the absences of Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon certainly play a factor, but the Nuggets have to find a solution. Over the last five games, the Nuggets have the worst defensive rating in the NBA, but also have the league's best offensive rating. That will likely not shock many fans after seeing the product they have put on the floor, but it is still an absurd stat.

The Nuggets will now move on to face the Indiana Pacers on the road on Wednesday.