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Anthony Edwards #5 and Julius Randle #30 of the Minnesota Timberwolves high five during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on October 29, 2024 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ((Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS – An out of bounds challenge that the Timberwolves lost during the Western Conference Finals last season came back to haunt Minnesota Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks.
The NBA changed the review process this offseason after Jaden McDaniels lost a ball out of bounds because he was fouled, which during last season’s playoffs couldn’t be reviewed. Tuesday night, Rudy Gobert was assessed a foul in the fourth quarter after Daniel Gafford lost a ball out of bounds. The Mavericks got the possession, the Timberwolves challenged the call and Gobert got the foul. A combination of irony and bad luck.
It happened on a night where Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving took over in the second half of a 120-114 win over the Timberwolves.
“I just, to be honest I didn’t see the foul but clearly they got it right,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said after the loss.
It was the first time the two teams met since Dallas eliminated Minnesota to advance to the NBA Finals, but both rosters have changed since. The Timberwolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle. The Mavericks have added Klay Thompson.
What it means
The Timberwolves drop to 2-2 on the season, suffer their first loss at Target Center this year and finish their first three-game homestand against the Denver Nuggets Friday night.
The big play
The Timberwolves started the third quarter with a 10-0 run and led 69-61 after a Mike Conley 3-pointer. The Mavericks answered with a 32-13 run, mostly led by Irving, who finished the night with 35 points. Doncic added 24 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Doncic hit a step-back 3-pointer from the same spot he did in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals to give Dallas a 117-109 lead with 1:04 to play for the dagger.
The Timberwolves cut an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to one possession multiple times, but the Mavericks had every answer.
“Dagger shots at the end when you’re trying to come back are super painful, but they’re the result of offensive rebounds, a result of transition not getting matched up quick enough when Kyrie is getting loose on us,” Finch said. “We’ve got to solve those two things, that was key for us last year.”
Anthony Edwards’ fast start
Edwards looked like he might be headed for a career night. He scored 24 points in the first quarter, a career-high, on 6-of-8 shooting from three-point range. He didn’t score a single point in the second quarter, and had 13 in the second half for 37. Randle added 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
The key numbers
Doncic and Irivng combined for 59 points. The Timberwolves committed 20 turnovers, and shot 17-of-26 from the free-throw line.
What’s next
The Timberwolves host the Denver Nuggets Friday night, the team they eliminated last season in seven games to get to the Western Conference Finals.