Mavs avoid 3-game skid with 113-97 win over Nuggets

DALLAS (AP) — Boban Marjanovic had 31 points and 17 rebounds, Luka Doncic scored 28 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Denver Nuggets 113-97 on Wednesday night before the suspension of the NBA season because of the coronavirus.

The Mavericks were in the second half of their game when the NBA announced plans to suspend the season “until further notice” after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus.

Jamal Murray had 25 points to lead Denver, and Will Barton had 23.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told national and regional television broadcasts that players were aware of the situation during the game, and were talking about it on the bench.

“It’s about the country and life in general … This is bigger than just the NBA,” Cuban told ESPN during an in-game interview.

Cuban said he didn’t anticipate the players being allowed to leave town, saying the only way to have any control and know about their health was to know where they are and who they are working with.

Dallas avoided its first three-game losing streak, and is the league’s only team that hasn’t lost three in a row this season.

The 7-foot-4 Marjanovic is from Serbia, as is Denver’s 7-foot center Nikola Jokic, a usually high-scoring All-Star from Europe like Doncic, who is from Slovania.

Jokic finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Paul Millsap had 12.

Tim Hardaway Jr. had 17 points for Dallas, and Maxi Kleber scored 15.

TIP-INS: Mavs 7-foot-3 post Kristaps Porzingis, who has been recovering from a left knee injury, had a planned night after Tuesday night’s game at San Antonio was his fourth in seven days. …Doncic, his sore right wrist in a wrap, immediately grabbed at his hand and grimaced after a driving dunk in the first half. … Jokic didn’t take his first shot until about four minutes into the second quarter, a stepback jumper over Marjanovic.

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Nuggets: Had been scheduled to play six of next seven games on road, including San Antonio on Thursday.

Mavericks: Were staying home, where they had been scheduled to play the Phoenix Suns on Saturday before four road games in a row.