DALLAS, TX — The Dallas Mavericks open up tonight with Kyrie Irving’s first game in American Airlines Center since getting traded over a week ago. Irving dropped 26 points in the fourth quarter to help Dallas comeback from a 27 point deficit. The Mavs had the opportunity to tie the game with 18 seconds left but Doncic and Irivng couldn’t find an open shot. Dallas ended up taking a 124-121 loss to Minnesota on Monday night.
Dallas got ruffed up under the basket in the first quarter and got outrebounded by the Timberwolves which helped Minnesota take a 11 point lead into the second quarter. Head Coach Jason Kidd discussed in the pregame presser that the Mavs will have to rebound the ball in order to have a chance in this game.
“We can’t let (Rudy) Gobert get the ball and put up the easy tip in’s.” Kidd said. Dallas has been struggling with rebounding all season but got in the groove under the basket in the last couple weeks. The Mavs came into this game having outrebounded four of their last five matchups, winning three of their last five.
The second quarter wasn’t any different as far as under the basket goes. At the half Dallas was outrebounded 22-13. The Timberwolves had 40 points in the paint entering the half and 11 points off Dallas turnovers.
Minnesota took a 65-54 lead entering the half after Luka Doncic hit a buzzer beater three-pointer to end the half.
The Mavs struggled from three in the first half shooting just 27 percent, 5-of-18. Christian Wood led off the bench for Dallas in the first half with 18 points. Doncic had 15 points.
The Timberwolves continued to beat on the Mavs in the third quarter. Minnesota took a 100-82 lead entering the fourth quarter. Doncic and Wood combined for 52 of Dallas’s 82 points. The rest of the team was pretty quiet offensively. Irving had 10 entering the fourth quarter.
Mavs cut a 18 point lead down to 10 in the fourth quarter after Irving added seven quick points to his stat sheet. Irving continued to put on a show in the fourth quarter getting 26 points in the fourth quarter alone.
Dallas gave up 64 points in the paint to the Timberwolves and Head Coach Jason Kidd told us after the game that they have to figure out the interior defense. He said they played a lot of small guys tonight so they could put points on the board.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavs with 36 points, five rebounds, and six assists.
Luka Doncic added 33 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists.
Dallas will head to Denver to take on the Nuggets on Wednesday night at 8 PM. This will be the last game the Mavs have before the All-Star break. Doncic and Irving are both playing in the All-Star game, Doncic being a starter.
