Like two ships in the night. The Dallas Mavericks get one guy back, and almost just as soon lose another. Mavs center Dereck Lively II suffered a sprained right ankle less than four minutes into Tuesday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets and exited the floor with the training staff.

Mavericks center Dereck Lively II clutches his ankle after a rebound attempt and exits the game in the first quarter.

Jamal Murray’s season-high scoring night came on the heels of Michael Malone almost shutting him down at halftime in Denver’s previous game on Sunday.

Now, the group heads to Dallas for a game that could have major implications on the Western Conference standings. The Nuggets are just half a game ahead of the Mavericks, so a win could give them a 1.5-game advantage. They sit at 22-15 on the season.

Jamal Murray scored 32 of his season-high 45 points in the first half and led the Denver Nuggets to a 118-99 victory over the Dallas Mavericks