DALLAS — In a thrilling matchup on Wednesday night, Jaden McDaniels achieved a career milestone by scoring 27 points, including a crucial free throw that sealed the game with just 3 seconds remaining. His teammate, Anthony Edwards, contributed 21 points, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves clinch a narrow 115-114 victory over the depleted Dallas Mavericks.
The Timberwolves took the lead with 11.8 seconds left in the game thanks to two free throws from Mike Conley, bringing the score to 114-111. Following a missed three-point attempt by Kyrie Irving, McDaniels secured the rebound and converted one of his free throw attempts, extending the Timberwolves’ advantage to four points. Irving managed to sink a running three-pointer as time expired, but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome.
Irving led the Mavericks with a remarkable 36 points, while P.J. Washington Jr. contributed a season-high 30 points. Unfortunately for Dallas, they’ve struggled recently, holding a record of 4-11 since star Luka Doncic was sidelined due to a calf strain suffered during a loss to Minnesota on Christmas Day.
Before the game, the Mavericks revealed some unfortunate news regarding their roster: center Dereck Lively II is facing a stress fracture in his right ankle and will undergo re-evaluation in a month’s time. Furthermore, guard Klay Thompson (suffering from a left ankle sprain) was among four key players unavailable due to injuries or illness.
Currently, both teams share the seventh spot in the Western Conference standings, each boasting a record of 23-21. In addition, six players from the Timberwolves scored in double digits, with Conley achieving a season-best 18 points.
Notable observations from the game include the fact that, while the Mavericks were dealing with multiple injuries, Minnesota’s rotation was more streamlined, using only eight players. Of those, seven logged over 26 minutes on the court.
A key moment in the game occurred late in the fourth quarter when Irving’s three-pointer narrowed the Mavericks’ deficit to just a single point at 101-100 with 5:45 still on the clock. However, McDaniels quickly responded by hitting a three-pointer of his own from the corner, then grabbing a rebound off a Spencer Dinwiddie miss and feeding it to Edwards for a driving basket, boosting Minnesota’s lead to 106-100.
One impressive statistic from the game was Dallas’s dominance in the paint, where they outscored Minnesota 66-48 despite the absence of their starting center.
Looking ahead, the Mavericks are slated to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, while the Timberwolves will host the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
