The stratospheric duo of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic carries Denver

Jamal Murray delivered an exceptionally explosive performance with 53 points, his season high, while Nikola Jokic compiled a massive triple-double of 23 points, 21 rebounds and 19 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets to victory over the Dallas Mavericks, 142-135.

This game will be remembered for a historic milestone reached by Nikola Jokic, who passed the 6,000 career assists mark. The Serbian center, who had 5,992 assists before the game, reached this milestone by serving Murray for a layup with 4:56 remaining in the second quarter.

NIKOLA JOKIC & JAMAL MURRAY DROPPED VIDEO GAME NUMBERS IN DENVER 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/XoXB71fOCy

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 26, 2026

Murray on fire, Jokic decisive in crunch time

Murray was brilliant from the first half with 33 points, making 11 of his 16 attempts and even stringing together 14 consecutive points at one point. Overall, the Canadian guard finished 19/28 from the field and a remarkable 9/14 from 3-point range, approaching his career high of 55 points.

The Mavericks attempted to come back late in the game, reducing an 11-point deficit to just one point (127-126) with 4:20 remaining. But Brandon Williams missed two crucial free throws with 3:58 left on the clock, allowing the Nuggets to regain control.

Jokic then took matters into his own hands with a floater, an assist to Peyton Watson for a corner 3-pointer, before Murray sealed the victory with a 3-pointer and a 19-foot step-back jumper to make it 138-128.

This fourth consecutive victory allows the Nuggets (46-28) to remain tied with Minnesota in fourth place in the Western Conference, with Denver holding the advantage thanks to their head-to-head victory over the Timberwolves. On the Dallas side, rookie Cooper Flagg scored 26 points and Naji Marshall 22, but the Mavericks are on their fifth consecutive loss and have lost 24 of their last 28 games since late January.