The Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets always seem to play fun basketball games when they get together. The potential is always there with the European stars facing off, and the meeting on Monday night proved to be spectacular. Nikola Jokic was great, scoring 35 points, a season-high for him thus far while grabbing 16 rebounds, but it was not enough as the Mavs hung in there and overcame him and the Nuggets by a score of 111-101.

Kristaps Porzingis had 29 points and 11 rebounds and Luka Doncic dropped 21 with 11 assists and eight boards. Jalen Brunson also delivered off the bench, posting 17 to help them win their fifth game in the last six outings. Elsewhere, the Chicago Bulls continued to show they are a force to be reckoned with in 2021-22 as they traveled to Los Angeles to defeat the Lakers 121-103. DeMar DeRozan, and not Anthony Davis or the injured LeBron James, who did not suit up, was the star of the show, scoring 38 points on 15-23 from the floor. Chicago also kept getting the best out of Lonzo Ball as he put up 27 against his former team while Zach LaVine had 26. The aforementioned Davis had 20 for the purple and gold as they slipped to 8-7. The Bulls are 10-4 after a fourth win in their last five.