The Minnesota Timberwolves will look to defeat the Mavericks for the third time in as many meetings this season when the teams reconvene in Dallas on Sunday night.
Naz Reid scored 27 points in Minnesota’s 119-101 win in Dallas on Dec. 14, and Anthony Edwards poured in a season-high 44 points in a 118-110 victory in Minneapolis on Dec. 28.
Edwards led the way again on Friday, scoring 24 points as the Timberwolves answered losing two consecutive games for the first time this season with a 122-95 triumph over the host Houston Rockets. The top overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, Edwards saw his run of scoring at least 25 points end at 10 games in the victory.
Karl-Anthony Towns collected 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Minnesota on Friday night.
“Every day we’ve got to be greedy for success. I think that we’ve just got to stay the course, continue to be us, play to our identity,” Towns said. “I think sometimes you try to get cute. I think (Friday) we got the job done, played defense the way we know how to, moved the ball and got a great win. You can see the results. We’ve got to stay doing this. Be monotonous.”
Minnesota shot a robust 52.3 percent from the floor (46 of 88) and 42.4 percent from 3-point range (14 of 33) on Friday. In addition, the Timberwolves held a decisive 52-38 edge in rebounds and enjoyed a 60-46 advantage in points in the paint.
“It looked like it was fun to play basketball with each other today,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “Just the willingness to want to make the pass, make it early and not fight the game. It was a big point of emphasis for us has just been trying to make your teammates better, whether it’s cutting, screening, executing, getting off of it when you’re covered. That kind of stuff.”
Dallas responded to its loss to Minnesota on Dec. 28 with wins in three of its last four contests, including the first two to kick off a season-high seven-game homestand.
Luka Doncic erupted for 41 points in the Mavericks’ 126-97 victory over Portland on Wednesday before sitting out two nights later with a sore ankle in a 139-103 win versus the Trail Blazers. Kyrie Irving picked up the slack with 24 points to go along with a season high-tying nine rebounds in Friday’s contest.
Jaden Hardy scored 19 points to go along with career-high totals in rebounds (nine) and assists (nine). Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed 19 points, while Josh Green and A.J. Lawson added 14 apiece for the banged-up Mavericks.
“A lot of bodies out, next-man mentality,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “Ky got us off to a really good start there. I thought Ky picked up right where he left off. Everyone who participated played at a high level.”
Doncic scored 39 points in the first meeting with Minnesota, while Hardaway had a season high-tying 32 in the most recent matchup with the Timberwolves.
–Field Level Media