Anthony Edwards dropped a season-high 44 points Thursday night, steering the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 118-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at Target Center. Edwards was on a true scoring tear, seemingly unstoppable by the Mavs' defense which was missing its linchpin, Luka Doncic. Edwards' scoring prowess was complemented by Rudy Gobert's double-double, which included 20 points and 11 rebounds, according to KSL.com.
The Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns added a modest 10 points, bolstering Minnesota's record to an impressive 13-1 at home this season. Meanwhile, the Mavericks were feeling the absence of Doncic, who sat out due to soreness in his left quadriceps, and Kyrie Irving, sidelined for the 11th game with a right heel contusion, as reported by CBS News Minnesota. Doncic, the Mavericks' leading scorer, had aggravated the injury in a Christmas Day clash against Phoenix.
The Mavericks didn't go down without a fight, with Tim Hardaway Jr. coming off the bench to score 32 points, and rookie Jaden Hardy chipping in with 17. However, even with Hardaway's flurry of 3-pointers, the Mavericks struggled to fill the scoring void left by their absent stars, ultimately suffering their fifth loss in seven games.
The Timberwolves found themselves trailing by a point midway through the third quarter. However, they clawed back with a 15-3 run that tipped the scales in their favor for the remainder of the game. This was despite Minnesota coughing up the ball for a total of 22 turnovers, which Dallas converted into 29 points. Nonetheless, consecutive 3-pointers from Kyle Anderson in the fourth quarter sealed the deal for the Timberwolves, as per details from CBS News Minnesota.
Looking forward, the Timberwolves are set to host the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, while the Mavericks will look to rebound in a matchup against the Golden State Warriors on the same day. With their sights set on climbing the conference rankings, both teams are gearing up for the tough battles that lie ahead in the remainder of the season.
