Irving and Washington Shine, But Injury-Depleted Mavericks Fall Short Against Timberwolves: 'We Just Got to Keep Fighting'
Kyrie Irving scores 36, P.J. Washington adds 30, but the Mavericks fall 115-114 to the Timberwolves despite a late rally at the American Airlines Center.
DALLAS — Despite standout performances from Kyrie Irving and P.J. Washington, the Dallas Mavericks fell just short against the Minnesota Timberwolves, losing 115-114 on Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center. Irving scored 36 points and dished out nine assists, while Washington added 30. However, Dallas couldn’t overcome critical late-game moments and a depleted roster missing seven key players.
The Mavericks, who dropped to 23-21, were without Luka Dončić (left calf strain), Dereck Lively II (right ankle stress fracture), Danté Exum (right wrist surgery), Klay Thompson (right ankle sprain), Naji Marshall (illness), Dwight Powell (right hip strain), and Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain).
Quentin Grimes returned from a one-game absence caused by back spasms, finishing with five points, four rebounds, and three assists. However, as injuries pile up, Olivier-Maxence Prosper made his second career start, delivering four points and four rebounds, while two-way contract signees Brandon Williams and Kessler Edwards were part of the rotation.
Injuries have left Dallas scrambling for consistency, going 4-11 since Dončić’s Christmas Day exit against this Minnesota team.
“We got a lot of guys playing that coming into the season, we knew they were going to be impactful, but didn't think they would be probably starting games or this is the lineup that we're going to have,” Irving said.
Irving, who reached 18,000 career points midway through the first quarter, and Washington aggressively set the tone for the Mavericks’ offense, knowing they’d need to create advantages for teammates filling more significant roles than usual. Washington finished with a season-high 22 field goal attempts, coming just two shy of his career high. Dallas will be leaning on them as Dončić remains sidelined.
“I think he's been aggressive since the season started, and he was aggressive tonight,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said of Washington. “I thought he and Kai set the tone for us, and we need one of those guys to go big, and they both went big tonight.”
The Mavericks’ only other double-figure scoring performances included Daniel Gafford, who added 14 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks. Maxi Kleber added 10 points despite continuing to play on a 15-minute restriction. Coming one point shy was Spencer Dinwiddie, who racked up nine points and three rebounds.
With Donte DiVincenzo sidelined, the Timberwolves, who improved to 23-21, used a tight eight-man rotation. All five starters contributed double-digit scoring, with six players reaching that mark. Jaden McDaniels led the charge with 27 points, eight rebounds, four steals, and three blocks. Anthony Edwards added 21 points, five rebounds, and seven assists despite drawing heavy defensive attention.
Against the Mavericks’ frontcourt, Dallas-Fort Worth native Julius Randle contributed 16 points and six rebounds, while Rudy Gobert chipped in 14 points and six boards. On a night rookie guard Rod Dillingham struggled, veteran Mike Conley rounded out the key performances with 18 points and eight assists.
Minnesota Overcomes Slow Start for Halftime Lead
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