The Dallas Mavericks, fresh off sweeping the Indiana Pacers and riding a three-game win streak, are hitting the road for a tough weekend trip that kicks off Thursday night. First up? A showdown with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are also red-hot. Dallas stands at 7-4, but they are going up against an 8-3 Wolves squad that has won four consecutive contests. Something has got to give in this one, and you know both teams want to keep their momentum rolling.
Ball-in Without Their Star
You’d think losing your franchise cornerstone would cripple a team, right? Well, the Minnesota Timberwolves are proving everyone wrong. Anthony Edwards has been out since October 29th, undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, but these Wolves haven’t slowed down one bit. They’ve gone an incredible five wins out of six games without him, with four of those victories being by double digits. Edwards was dropping over 33 points per game, but Minnesota has found a way to collectively make up for it. We’re talking Lamelo Ball chipping in 18 points and six assists, Jaden McDaniels hitting a career-best 17 points per game, and Ayo Dosunmu absolutely excelling in his new starting role with 18.1 points per game on nearly 47% shooting from deep. And that’s not even counting defensive anchor Rudy Gobert, former Warrior Jonathan Kuminga, or their bench firepower in Terrence Shannon Jr. and Bones Hyland. Seriously, even without their superstar, these Wolves are still out here hunting.
Cooper’s Conquests From Deep
What can you even say about Cooper Flagg that hasn’t been said? The kid is a flat-out unbelievable talent, and he’s only going to get better. During Dallas’ recent two-game skid, one thing was glaring: Flagg wasn’t really letting it fly from downtown. But hold on a second, because that has changed fast! Cooper has drained six of his last eleven shots from long range over the last two games, hitting over 60% from the floor in both. When he starts knocking down those outside shots, it just opens up so much more for him to attack inside and drive to the rim. You gotta watch Flagg closely in this one, because the Wolves have serious length on the perimeter and Rudy Gobert lurking in the middle. They could definitely try to fluster him.
Breaking a Stubborn Habit
As if facing a streaking, deep Wolves team wasn’t enough, there’s another layer to this matchup. Dallas has had a serious struggle against Minnesota for a while. It’s been a long, long time since the Mavericks last got a win over the Wolves. That kind of history adds some serious weight to Thursday’s game. Can Dallas break that habit and keep their own streak alive, or will Minnesota extend their run and continue their dominance? We’ll find out Thursday night, and it’s going to be a battle to see which streak continues and which one finally comes to an end.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mavs Moneyball.
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