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Mavs claim most impressive win of season over Nuggets behind Ryan Nembhard’s breakout game
DENVER — This year’s iteration of the Dallas Mavericks has built a reputation for being competitive, no matter the circumstances.
It doesn’t matter if they’re short-handed because of injuries or playing through their shooting struggles, the Mavericks typically find ways to keep games close.
That trend continued on Monday night against the Denver Nuggets as they found themselves in their 17th clutch game of the season.
Dallas used a 42-point second-quarter lead to erase a 17-point deficit, which set the stage for their most impressive win of the season — a 131-121 victory over the Nuggets.
The Mavericks (7-15) captured their second consecutive win for the first time this season, but that wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the trio of Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg and Ryan Nembhard, who posted career-highs of 28 points and 10 assists.
The two-way rookie proved himself worthy of Jason Kidd’s trust in him as the team’s starting point guard and provided a much-needed lift for a struggling offense. Nembhard made 12 of his 14 shot attempts, and made four 3-pointers.
“I thought he was great the whole game,” Kidd said. “He’s been great since we put him in the starting lineup. Being able to find guys, also his shot as we talked about. To have 28 and 10, he controlled the game. Big play down the stretch. The ball touches the paint and he finds [Max] Christie in the corner for a big 3. He took what the defense gave him. He was really good tonight.”
Nembhard scored 15 points in the third quarter to keep the Mavericks within striking distance. He knocked down a midrange fadeaway to give Dallas a nine-point lead with 1:57 left, which was the game’s final dagger.
“Just trying to be aggressive,” Nembhard said. “They’re in that deep drop with [Nikola] Jokic. Just trying to be aggressive, get downhill and make plays.”
Nembhard wasn’t the only one making plays for the Mavericks. Dallas welcomed Davis back to the lineup after he missed Saturday’s win over the LA Clippers. He reasserted himself as the team’s number one option on offense and finished with a game-high 32 points and 13 rebounds in 32 minutes. It was the second-most points he’s scored in a Mavericks uniform.
The Mavericks entered the game with the fourth-best defensive rating in the NBA, but they were tested by the league’s best offense. Without PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford, it was a tall task to stop an offense powered by Jokic.
Denver came out the gate and dropped 42 points in the first quarter, thanks to Jokic and a second-year forward by the name of Spencer Jones, who scored a career-high for the second straight game.
Jokic stuffed the stat sheet early and finished with a triple-double of 29 points, 19 rebounds and 13 assists. Jones had 28 points, 19 of which were scored in the first half. That mark surpassed his previous career-best of 16 points from the Nuggets’ win at Phoenix on Saturday. Jones was also undrafted and signed to a two-way contract, just as Nembhard was by the Mavericks.
Nembhard also accomplished history on Saturday as he became the first undrafted rookie with 25 points and 10 assists and zero turnovers and the first overall rookie to accomplish the feat since Stephon Marbury in 1996.
“It’s just a blessing,” Nembhard said. “It’s a blessing to be with this group of guys. Great group here. I just put in my work every day and stay consistent with that. When you do that, good things will happen. It was a fun night.”
The Mavericks finish their four-game road trip with a record of 2-2, which left Nuggets fans booing their own team after witnessing four consecutive home losses.
X/Twitter: @MikeACurtis2
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
The Dallas Cowboys boasted one of the best offenses in the NFL this past season, but it wasn’t enough to get them into the playoffs. Even with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams, they were unable to make up for their porous defense, finishing the season 7-9-1.
This offseason, Dallas was on a mission to fix that defense. Jerry Jones vowed he would put in the work and while they might not have an elite unit, they definitely look improved on paper.
With the biggest moves this offseason done, let’s rank the position groups for the Cowboys, which begins with the most obvious strength.
Wide Receiver
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are arguably the best duo in the game, which makes this the Cowboys’ strongest position on its own. Throw in Ryan Flournoy, who had a breakout season in 2025, and it looks even better.
Dallas has depth beyond this as well, with KaVontae Turpin, who had 396 yards receiving last year, as their WR4. Even rookie seventh-round pick Anthony Smith has some upside.
Safety
Rookie Caleb Downs immediately makes this group better, but he’s not the only addition. The Cowboys also signed Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke in free agency. For good measure, they also have Malik Hooker as they turned a perennial weakness into a strength this offseason.
Quarterback
Dak Prescott carries this group, especially after another spectacular season. Behind Prescott, however, the Cowboys are still strong with Joe Milton III and Sam Howell. Either player could wind up as the QB2 and could keep the offense going in the short-term.
Defensive Line
Defensive tackle has been a weakness for years, but Jones decided that had to change. Entering 2026, Dallas has Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Otitto Ogbonnia, Jonathan Bullard, and rookie LT Overton, which is a solid group.
Offensive Line
The interior of the Dallas offensive line could make this one of the best groups overall with Cooper Beebe, Tyler Smith, and Tyler Guyton all standing out at their respective positions.
The problem is that offensive tackle has some concerns. Tyler Guyton hasn’t lived up to his draft status and Terence Steele hasn’t played up to his contract. Drew Shelton could eventually take over for one, but the rookie needs time to develop.
EDGE
There’s not an All-Pro on the edge like there was when Micah Parsons was in Dallas, but the group is much deeper this season. Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, and James Houston can all have big roles this season. They’re even going to try Marist Liufau on the edge, but the depth might be an issue for him.
Tight End
Jake Ferguson had eight touchdowns in 2025, which was huge. The problem is that he struggled with ball security, hardly had any yards after the catch, and finished with an average of just 7.3 yards per reception.
Luke Schoonmaker has been the TE2, but he could be pushed by Brevyn Spann-Ford. Undrafted free agent Michael Trigg is a player to watch, but he’s unlikely to produce much as a rookie.
Cornerback
Defensive coordinator Christian Parker is a fan of Shavon Revel, and if he can turn him into a starter, that would be huge for this position.
Right now, there are far too many questions, with the durability of DaRon Bland being chief among them.
Entering OTAs, there’s a chance free agent pickup Cobie Durant could be their best option at cornerback. He’s a solid addition, but they need someone else to step up as well.
Linebacker
We recently noted that linebacker remains the greatest need on this team. They did a great job by trading for Dee Winters and rookie Jaishawn Barham could wind up being a great fit.
That said, they need DeMarvion Overshown to stay healthy for this group to succeed. If he misses time, their lack of depth will hurt them.
Running Back
Linebacker might be the primary need, but running back comes in last here due to the concerns behind Javonte Williams.
There’s no denying that Williams is a stud. He broke out in 2025 with 1,201 yards but the depth is questionable. If second-year back Jaydon Blue improves, this position group would climb the ranks in a hurry. For now, however, there are too many question marks.
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Morton started 15 games in 1972 for an injured Staubach, who eventually returned in the playoffs. The Cowboys decided to trade Morton in 1974 to the Giants, who sent back a first-round pick, which turned out to be the No. 2 overall pick in 1975. The Cowboys used that selection to take Randy White, a 10-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer.
Ironically enough, White’s best game was likely Super Bowl XII, when he was named Co-MVP with Harvey Martin. The Cowboys’ Doomsday defense dominated the Broncos, who were quarterbacked by Morton.
Overall, Morton played for the Cowboys, Giants and Broncos before officially retiring at the end of the 1982 season.
His career ended with 27,908 passing yards, ranking him 71st in NFL history, just ahead of Hall of Famer Joe Namath (27,663).
With the official NFL schedule coming this week, the Dallas Cowboys have revealed when, where and against who their Week 1 contest will be.
The Cowboys announced that they will square off against the New York Giants on the road in Week 1, with the game set for Sunday, Sept. 13, at 7:20 p.m. CT. So, it’s prime time for the Cowboys to start the season.
This is the second game we know about for the Cowboys this year. Of course, we know they will be playing on Thanksgiving, also.
The official schedule will drop on May 14, the NFL announced last week. Schedules for all 32 teams will be revealed on ESPN and the NFL Network, but each team will unveil its own schedule on social media, also.
The Cowboys were always likely to play a road game in Week 1 because of an Usher and Chris Brown concert taking place at AT&T Stadium that week.
Dallas will also be impacted by an Ed Sheeran concert in Week 7, so that’s another potential road game. They could also play on Monday or Thursday that week, or have a bye.
Cowboys’ strength of schedule
According to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis, the Cowboys are not going to have an easy road to make the postseason.
The Cowboys have the fourth-toughest schedule in the NFL going into the 2026 season, with only the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers having tougher slates.
Dallas’ schedule is also the third-toughest in the NFC, and the most difficult in the NFC East.
Sharp does his strength of schedule rankings based on win totals from Vegas oddsmakers rather than utilizing the previous season’s records because that metric doesn’t factor in offseason changes.
The Cowboys will play home games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.
On the road, Dallas will square off against the Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.
Of those opponents, seven of them made the postseason in 2025, a list that includes the Jaguars, 49ers, Eagles, Texans, Rams, Seahawks and Packers.
All of those teams should be as good in 2026, and teams like the Colts, Titans, Ravens, Bucs, Giants and Commanders have a very real chance to be improved as well.
It won’t be an easy road for Dallas to get back to the playoffs in 2026, but there’s at least hope following a defensive overhaul.
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