Michael Malone’s wait for win No. 433 with the Nuggets will extend another day.

Dallas used a late surge to win 123-120 to drop Denver to 8-6 on the season and 1-2 in the NBA Cup action. Here are three takeaways from Denver’s third loss in the last four games:

1. Some of the Nuggets played like Nikola Jokic’s return and Luka Doncic’s absence would be enough to guarantee Denver win. Jokic continued at his triple-double pace, posting 33 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in 39 minutes and 28 seconds of playing time. He made13 of 22 shots, including a pair of 3s on as many attempts. Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook struggled to use Jokic’s presence to score efficiently. Murray went 4 for 16 with 11 of those attempts coming from deep. He didn’t make a shot inside the arc but did dish out 11 assists. Westbrook went 4 of 6 from 3-point range but finished 5 of 13 overall. The rest of Denver’s reserves totaled eight points.

2. Dario Saric and Westbrook are both talented veterans, but their fit together in the second unit just doesn’t make a lot of sense. Westbrook’s at his best on the run and in fast-paced games, as evidenced by his 200th career triple-double in Memphis. Saric appears most comfortable in the halfcourt, though his play in the post has also left something to be desired. It doesn’t help that both players are in the first year with the Nuggets. That lack of experience playing together is made even worse given that Westbrook and Saric have both been needed to fill into the starting lineup at different times. The few minutes Westbrook and DeAndre Jordan shared Friday looked a lot better than larger sample size between Westbrook and Saric.

3. The decision to go with Westbrook over Christian Braun in the clutch had to be a tough one. Malone said he was simply going with the hot hand, but Braun wasn’t necessarily cold, either. Braun continued his impressive start to the season by scoring 17 points on nine shots. He made 2 of 3 from 3-point range and added five rebounds. Braun’s defense wasn’t as needed with Peyton Watson leading the charge to limit Kyrie Irving to four points after halftime. Given the night Murray had, he might’ve made the most sense to watch the final minutes from the bench, but that would’ve been a hard message to send to his second star this early in the season.

MAVERICKS 123, NUGGETS 120

What happened: Dallas extended a two-point lead after the first quarter to a 73-53 advantage at halftime. The Nuggets closed within six to start the fourth quarter and took their first lead in the final six minutes, but a late Mavericks’ run dropped Denver to 8-6 on the season.

What went right: Nikola Jokic returned to the rotation after missing Denver’s previous three games. He and his wife, Natalija, reportedly welcomed a baby boy on Thursday night. Jokic finished with 33 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists.

What went wrong: Dallas scored 44 of its first-half points in the paint. Denver did a better job in the second half, but the Mavericks still finished with 66 points in the paint.

Highlight of the night: An errant alley-oop pass ended up working out for the Nuggets early. Julian Strawther’s lob pass was a little to high for Russell Westbrook to finish with a dunk, but the 17-year veteran got up enough to catch the ball and kick it out to Jamal Murray before landing out of bounds. Murray made the 3, which gave the Nuggets an extra point early.

Up next: The Nuggets are off to Los Angeles for Saturday’s 8:30 p.m. local start against the Lakers.