At 8:30 a.m. Beijing time on January 8, a new round of matchups in the NBA regular season is in full swing, and the Timberwolves challenge the Mavericks away. After losing to the Pelicans and Knicks in a row, the Timberwolves regained their form with a 27-point win against the Rockets. So far this season, the Timberwolves still rank first in the West with a 25-9 record, and the team's defensive efficiency is as high as 108.3, ranking first in the league. But on the offensive end, the Timberwolves only average the league's sixth-to-last three-point shots per game, which is why the Timberwolves can only play the league's nineth-to-last 113.1 points per game.
The Mavericks only have rookie Lively at the center position this season, resulting in the team's main offensive tactics having to be launched from the outside. The Mavericks also averaged 41.5 three-point shots per game, which ranked second in the league, but the team's overall offensive efficiency ranked only 10th in the league. On the defensive end, it is also relatively leaky, with the same efficiency value of only 115.5, ranking 17th in the league. Irving has returned from a knee injury and played in three games, averaging 22 points per game and shooting over 50 percent from the field. Doncic is also confirmed to return for this game after a one-game rest. The starting lineups of both sides for this game were Edwards, Towns, Gobert, McDaniels and Conley. The Mavericks fielded Doncic, Irving, Green, Jones Jr. and Powell.
In the first quarter of the game, the Mavericks made a concerted effort, Irving hit consecutive mid-range shots, and Doncic used his rhythm to break through and score a layup. Jones Jr. followed up with a three-pointer from the outside. The Timberwolves relied on the advantage of the inside, Gobert scored four points in a row and Edwards also seized the opportunity in the outside space. The two sides played inextricably, and Irving and Towns also responded with a three-pointer from the outside. Doncic raised his hand from the outside, and Downs reached 2+1 in the next round. In the final period, Timberwolves Edwards scored 8 points in a row to make kills to the basket, and Mavericks Doncic was able to keep up with the rhythm. At the end of the first quarter, the Mavericks led the Timberwolves by one point, 30-29.
In the second quarter of the game, the Timberwolves started to play inside, and Towns and Gobert scored one after another. Maverick Irving hit a solid three-point shot from the outside, and Hardaway Jr. and Powell could also hit the basket. The game is still very anxious, Owen has just played 2+1, and wants to further widen the difference. Timberwolves Walker immediately responded with a three-pointer, and Towns scored seven points on a layup. The Mavericks Jones Jr. and Doncic also broke through one after another, and Williams' outside three-pointers rose and fell. Conley of the Timberwolves hit a three-pointer right away. Irving scored four more points in the final period, and Doncic continued to fire from the outside. Timberwolves Edwards and Reed and Gobert can also keep up with the pace. At halftime, the Mavericks led the Timberwolves by four points, 60-56.
In the halftime, Irving scored 17 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists on 7-of-12 shooting. Doncic finished with 17 points, three rebounds and three assists on 6-of-15 shooting. Jones Jr. had 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks on 3-of-5 shooting. Williams 7 points. Hardaway Jr. 4 points. For the Timberwolves, Edwards had 16 points and four rebounds on 5-of-13 shooting. Towns finished with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Gobert had nine points and 13 rebounds on 4-of-9 shooting. Reed had six points and four rebounds.
In the second half of the game, Irving scored four points in a row from mid-range, and Jones Jr. scored a basket. Timberwolves Edwards assisted Reed and Conley to hit two three-pointers in a row, and then scored four points on his own breakthrough. With Doncic scoring five straight points inside and out, Irving followed up with two three-pointers from the outside. The Timberwolves showed no weakness, Reed scored 4 points in the paint area, and Conley continued to fire from the outside, and the difference was still within 5 points. Until the last two and a half minutes, Doncic scored 7 points in a row with 2 three-pointers from the outside, and Hardaway Jr. scored 3 points from the outside defense, and the Timberwolves were caught off guard, only McLaughlin responded with a three-pointer. At the end of the third quarter, the Mavericks led the Timberwolves by nine points, 91-82.
In the final quarter of the game, McLaughlin and Hardaway Jr. responded with a three-pointer, and in less than half a quarter, Edwards scored 5 points with a burst shot, and Towns followed up with a three-pointer from the outside, and the difference quickly narrowed to 3 points. The Mavericks Williams broke through and scored, but before he could stabilize the advantage, the next wave of the Timberwolves' offense struck, and Edwards converted a three-point shot to score five points in a row. Downs played 2+1, hit three points, scored 6 points in a row, and a wave of 11-0 extended the difference to 6 points. Fortunately, Powell played 2+1 in time, and Irving equalized the score with a three-point raise. At the critical moment, it was Irving again, and another three-pointer was scored, and Jones Jr. scored a layup. Then the Mavericks grabbed the free throws and closed the game 115-108!
In the game, Irving scored 35 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists on 14-of-27 shooting, with 3 steals and 2 blocks on the defensive end. Doncic finished with 34 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists on 12-of-26 shooting, and the duo combined for 69 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists. Jones Jr. had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Hardaway had 12 points and four rebounds. On the Timberwolves' side, Edwards finished with 36 points, 10 rebounds and three assists on 14-of-27 shooting. Towns had 24 points and seven rebounds. Gobert had nine points and 17 rebounds. Reed 15 points and 9 rebounds,