The good news is that the Mavericks get another shot at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday at American Airlines Center. And they’ll have at least one extra player when they do.
The bad news? The Wolves figure to be every bit as hot as they were in Minnesota on Sunday when they took care of the Mavericks in the fourth quarter and scored a 111-105 victory, their fourth in a row as they continue to climb in the Western Conference.
The Mavericks were shorthanded, of course. And they likely will be again, although they added Theo Pinson from the G-League on Monday (see below). But the Wolves now have won four in a row, are ahead of the Mavericks in the standings and, while they will again be without high-scoring swingman Anthony Edwards (COVID-19 protocols), they still have Karl-Anthony Towns.
And as the Mavs found out on Sunday, that’s a problem.
Here’s our takeaways from that loss at the Target Center.
HELP? NEW PLAYERS, BUT STILL SHORTHANDED: The Mavericks played at Minnesota without (deep breath) Luka Dončić (left foot), Reggie Bullock and Josh Green (health and safety protocols), Willie Cauley-Stein (personal), Frank Ntilikina non-COVID-19 illness), Eugene Omoruyi (foot) and, for the last 18 minutes of the game, Kristaps Porzingis (right foot soreness. As of Monday afternoon, no updates had been made. But it’s clear the Mavericks are going to improvise for a while. They fall back on the “next man up” theory. But there’s a reason why the next man wasn’t already up. “Guys that haven’t really played that many minutes are going to have to come in and contribute,” said Tim Hardaway Jr. “And we trust and believe in them.” All of the above players have been ruled out for Tuesday’s rematch. The only exception is Porzingis, who is questionable, according to the latest injury update. And there was more bad news when Maxi Kleber entered the safety protocols, meaning he’s out, too. Those absences meant the Mavericks could take advantage of the NBA’s COVID-19 hardship allowances and sign players to 10-day deals. One new support player is already assured. The Mavericks signed Pinson out of the G-League Maine Celtics. They used the COVID-19 hardship provision, so they have Pinson for 10 days. At least it’s available body, which are in short supply these days. Pinson averaged 16.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 12 games with Maine. An undrafted free agent in 2018, he spent his first three seasons with Brooklyn and New York. He will wear No. 1. Another player apparently is on the way. Marquese Chriss is set to sign with the Mavericks, according to multiple media reports. With so many big men either out or iffy, it makes sense. Chriss played in 2019-20 with Golden State, averaging 9.3 points and 6.2 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per game. He had played two games last season.
SO MANY THINGS WENT RIGHT: In some losses, you can point to a myriad of snafus that cost a team. But in this game, the Mavericks did a whole bunch of good things. Here’s what was wasted: 21-of-22 free-throw shooting, a season-best 23 points by Dorian Finney-Smith, 14 rebounds by Maxi Kleber and 27 assists on 36 field goals. Jalen Brunson had 11 of those assists. The Mavericks faltered in the fourth quarter, though (more on that in a moment). But when coaches look at the film and say, “we have a lot of positives to build on,” after this game it wouldn’t just be coach-speak.
ABOUT THAT FOURTH QUARTER: It was ugly. The Mavericks were 1-of-11 from 3-point range (7-of-19 overall), and gave up 50 percent shooting from both the 3-point arc and overall. The Wolves even survived 7-of-14 shooting from the free-throw line. They call it winning time for a reason. The Mavericks have to treat it as such when they do such a good job on the road of putting themselves in the driver’s seat like they did for three quarters.
FAMILIAR NEMESIS: We can all look at Karl-Anthony Towns as a major contributor to the Wolves’ win, and rightfully so with 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists. But the unsung hero was an old rival, Patrick Beverley. He was a pain for the Mavericks when he was with the Los Angeles Clippers. Nothing’s changed. Beverley was a game-best plus-11 on Sunday and his grit and experience are clearly helping the historically flighty Timberwolves.
FINAL THOUGHT: The NBA has had to postpone seven games so far after the resurgence of COVID-19. They’ll have to be rescheduled, of course. And this is where the nightmare begins for the league. Hopefully, we don’t reach a point like 2020, when play was shut down and resumed in a bubble. The world appears to be better prepared to handle the new uptick. But the league still ha to be vigilant. If it requires a shutdown for a week or two weeks, so be it. The league doesn’t want to lose its Christmas Day extravaganza, but stars are succumbing to the protocols just like any other players. It’s a tough time. Safety should rule the day.
Twitter: @ESefko
Share and comment