DALLAS – The Timberwolves got a taste Monday of what life might be like with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic now teamed together in the Western Conference. Irving couldn't miss in the fourth quarter, and he brought the Mavericks screaming back from what was a 26-point Wolves lead in the third quarter.
The Wolves tried hanging on for dear life in the fourth, and they made just enough plays late in the game to hang on for a 124-121 victory.
Doncic finished with 33 and Irving had 36, which included 24 in the fourth quarter.
Amid a furious fourth-quarter comeback, an Irving three made it 123-121 Wolves with 28.4 seconds to play. Mike Conley went to the line for the Wolves with 15.1 to play and sank one of two free throws. But the Wolves played one of their best defensive possessions of the season behind Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards on Dallas' final possession, forcing a turnover and the win. Dallas never got a shot off. Anthony Edwards had 32 to lead Minnesota.
Rudy Gobert set the tone early for the Wolves, as he finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds on 9-for-9 shooting. He scored nine points on 4-for-4 shooting to go with four boards in the first; his nine points were a season high for the first quarter. The Wolves led 33-23 after one as they shot 59% while hitting just one three in the period.
Jaden McDaniels (19 points) pitched in 10 on 5-for-5 in the first half and the Wolves led by as many as 14 in the second before taking a 65-54 lead into the locker room. For the half, the Wolves had 40 points in the paint and were 23-for-28 (82%) inside the three-point arc.
That was just the preview for how the Wolves came out in the third quarter. That 11-point lead extended to as much as 25 in the first five minutes of the third as the Wolves had everybody clicking. Taurean Prince was making post moves and hitting from outside, Conley was setting up Gobert on the pick and roll and they were playing focused defense.
The Wolves led by 26 and were up 18 entering the fourth when Irving took over. He scored 12 in the first 3:09 of the fourth to bring Dallas within 107-97. By the time Doncic checked back in with 5:49 to play, the Wolves clung to a 111-101 lead. The fun was just beginning.
