DALLAS – A battle took place Monday night between the Denver Nuggets and the Dallas Mavericks.

Dallas won 111-101, and it came down to a final run in the fourth quarter. But the win isn't the primary battle worth noting. What is worth noting was the subtle side battle between the two European bigs that graced the hardwood with a dazzling soft touch from the outside and ingenuity around the basket during Monday night's contest.

The two trading buckets, moves, and moments guarding each other were Nikola Jokic and Kristaps Porzingis. And in the foray on the hardwood, it likened to two great boxers going punch-for-punch, round-by-round, until neither could stand; both were exhausted, weary and battle-tested, but in Porzingis' case — victory-ladened.

"Games like today against Jokic, we forced him to be in a lot of pick-and-roll and play a lot of defense," Porzingis said. "He's still a monster on the offensive end though."

Porzingis finished the night with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and five made 3-pointers. It was his second impressive game in as many outings. And it appears that the former All-Star is turning a corner with his health and production on the floor.

"KP was great, again, on both sides of the ball," Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. "We asked him to go out there and score for us. But we also asked him to go play defense on the MVP tonight. He did his best."

Porzingis' sparring partner, Jokic, finished with 35 points and 16 rebounds. He imposed his will for stretches in the game, but Dallas' energy and second-half effort kept the heavy-footed center and his Denver teammates at bay.

How did Porzingis find his shots: 

For the second game in a row, Dallas played Porzingis at the center position. And much like the game against San Antonio, it worked. He was able to stretch the defense out with his 3-point prowess. And he kept his defender honest because he was a threat off the dribble all night.

Kidd sees something he likes when Porzingis is playing the center spot on the floor. Dallas plays a bit faster. The defense plays a bit harder. And opposing teams have to pick their poison in either stopping Luka Doncic or Porzingis.

Still, Kidd says he can't see Porzingis playing the center spot for long stretches. Instead, he could be saving him for that role during an opportunistic run later in the season.

"When you look at KP at the five, we don't want to have him out there for 40 minutes at the five. I think for the journey of this season, that's just too many minutes," Kidd said.  "For us to get him at the five tonight was good, and we'll continue to get him at the five."

Though Kidd feels Porzingis shouldn't spend every night at the center spot on the floor, Porzingis doesn't necessarily see a difference. He's worked on his body, he said. And in playing at a heavier weight, he feels it has added to his versatility to play at any spot in the frontcourt over 82 games.

"I am feeling stronger this season," Porzingis said. "I am working on my body nonstop. And I am not using as much energy anymore. To fight in those [playing center] situations is more natural now. I'll try to keep the weight on throughout the season."

The boxing match in color: 

Monday night was defined by the sparring match between Jokic and Porzingis. For every hook shot Jokic hit, Porzingis came back with a baseline fadeaway of his own. With every drop step by Jokic, Porzingis answered with a sweet mid-range jumper.

There are few nights when the curtain is pulled back, and everyone watching gets to see the boxing match between two stars on the NBA hardwood; one a league MVP, and the other seeking an identity; one a generational big man, the other a former unicorn; one the motor that runs his team, the other seeking approval and acceptance from a fan-base that has maligned him. On Monday night, the latter won.

"It is all about confidence for KP," Tim Hardaway Jr. said. "Just knowing him personally, on and off the floor, he needs to stay active. When he is active in the pick-and-roll situations, picking-and-popping, taking the ball off-dribble off his rebounds, posting up and doing the little things like blocking shots and talking on defense, when he is engaged like that, we can be a dangerous team."

Related Mavericks reading: 

"Rise and Fall: Mavericks roster trends after week four." 

Feature image via Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports.