The Dallas Mavericks headed north to face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves on the second consecutive night of a challenging back-to-back schedule. This matchup marks the first rematch of last year’s thrilling Western Conference Finals, and the Timberwolves were eager to avenge their earlier playoff disappointment.
Both squads took the court with their standard lineups. Dallas positioned Luka Doncic alongside Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford, while Minnesota countered with Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Rudy Gobert. Randle’s recent addition to the roster, just prior to the commencement of the season, meant that the Timberwolves were still fine-tuning their chemistry on the court.
Edward’s opening moment of the game was remarkable, as he blocked a shot from Irving, showcasing his defensive prowess while atoning for his prior comments against Irving during last year’s series. He then dazzled the crowd with a crafty layup, pushing Minnesota ahead early. Dallas didn’t shy away from Gobert’s imposing presence, scoring their first eight points in the paint. Edwards accounted for ten of the Timberwolves’ initial twelve points, establishing an early 12-11 lead. However, Dallas quickly countered with an impressive leak-out dunk from Gafford.
The game’s tempo was fast-paced, with both teams trading baskets. Julius Randle sunk a crucial three-pointer to put the Timberwolves back in front, but Doncic retaliated with a superb finish through contact, tying the game. Moments later, McDaniels added an easy two points, yet Doncic again answered with an and-one play, prompting the game’s first timeout as the action intensified.
The momentum shifted midway through the second quarter when the Timberwolves broke open a ten-point lead, following Gafford’s exit due to a lower leg injury. Despite Gafford’s absence, Dallas managed a quick response with a transition finish from Washington followed by a three from Irving, narrowing the gap to five points. At that point, Minnesota had hit ten three-pointers compared to just three for Dallas, keeping the game competitive.
With just over four and a half minutes remaining in the second quarter, Dallas took the lead after Washington sank a timely transition three, followed by Doncic lobbing a pass to Dereck Lively II for a finish. A technical free throw from Thompson and another three-pointer pushed the Mavericks’ lead to five points, marking their largest advantage of the game at that juncture. However, Randle fought back with a couple of baskets, regaining the lead for Minnesota, only to have Washington respond promptly with a three-pointer.
As the first half neared its conclusion, Doncic exited to the locker room with a lower leg injury. Despite this setback, the Mavericks managed to maintain a slim 61-59 lead at halftime. Doncic, who had been leading the team with 13 points, made a significant impact, as did Washington, Gafford, and Irving, all contributing in double figures. Conversely, after a hot start, Edwards was held scoreless in the second quarter, having attempted just one shot.
Returning to the floor after halftime, Doncic initially looked to regain his footing. However, Minnesota came out strong, scoring the first ten points of the third quarter to establish a 69-61 lead, prompting Coach Kidd to call a timely timeout. In response, P.J. Washington and Kyrie Irving made several key three-pointers along with an Irving leak-out to trim Minnesota’s lead to two points before Irving pushed Dallas back ahead with a well-timed step-in three-pointer.
The Timberwolves fell cold midway through the third quarter, which allowed the Mavericks to extend their lead to seven points, bolstered by Quentin Grimes’ consecutive three-pointers. Grimes’ shooting prowess helped push the Mavs to their largest advantage of the night, an eight-point lead, followed by another three-pointer from Irving that increased the margin to eleven points. Heading into the fourth, Dallas commanded a 93-82 lead.
The final quarter saw both Naz Reid and Luka Doncic exchanging baskets, igniting a surge from Minnesota. As the Timberwolves cut into the deficit with contributions from Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jaden McDaniels sinking three-pointers, Irving’s steady scoring kept the Dallas offense afloat.
With exactly five minutes remaining, Dallas clung to a five-point lead, yet Alexander-Walker converted a running bank shot, shrinking the Mavericks’ advantage to three points. Irving quickly countered with a challenging layup on the opposite end, maintaining Dallas’ lead. McDaniels’ wide-open layup forced the Mavericks into a timeout with four minutes left as the game grew tight.
A few late free throws from Rudy Gobert trimmed the lead to two, but Kyrie Irving remained unflappable, nailing a crucial three-pointer over Randle to extend the lead back to five points. In a surprising turn, the officials overlooked P.J. Washington’s stepping out of bounds on an offensive rebound, allowing Doncic to launch an impressive shot from ten feet beyond the three-point line, widening Dallas’ lead to eight with just over a minute remaining. That shot marked Doncic’s first and only made three-pointer of the game.
In a tense final minute, Anthony Edwards sank a crucial three-pointer, cutting the lead down to four. However, Irving’s missed free throws added drama to the ending. Nevertheless, Naji Marshall came up big by stealing the ball from Edwards and converting both free throws, pushing the Mavericks’ lead back to six with just under thirteen seconds left. That cushion ultimately secured Dallas’ victory with a final score of 120-114, pushing their record to 3-1 for the season.
Despite the victory, the Mavericks will need to address their three-point defense and rebounding issues from the free-throw line. Minnesota’s shooting was exceptional, draining 19 of 39 attempts from beyond the arc, while Dallas allowed at least three offensive rebounds from missed free throws—situations that often translate into points.
Turnovers proved to be the game-changer, as Minnesota committed a staggering 20 turnovers compared to only nine for Dallas. Particularly notable was the second half, where the Mavericks capitalized on a 10-1 turnover advantage, solidifying their grip on the game.
Kyrie Irving was the standout performer for the Mavericks, leading the team with an impressive 35 points. Doncic had a rocky start in the first half but rallied in the second to finish with 24 points, complemented by eight rebounds and nine assists. P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford also made significant contributions, scoring 17 and 14 points, respectively, while Dereck Lively II provided valuable defense with nine rebounds and three steals.
On the Timberwolves side, Anthony Edwards topped the score charts with an impressive 37 points, though he cooled off significantly after his explosive first quarter. He received substantial support from teammates, including Julius Randle, who added 20 points, as well as Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who contributed with 14, 13, and 11 points, respectively.
The Mavericks are set to return home to face the Rockets on Thursday night, looking to build on their recent success.
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