3 Takeaways From Mavericks' Big Win Over Timberwolves

Dallas picked up a big early-season win Tuesday night over the Timberwolves

Oct 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) dribbles against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks picked up a big early-season win over the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday evening. Playing on the road on the second night of a back-to-back, they left Target Center with a 120-114 win and confirmed some preseason hype about the team.

Anthony Edwards started the game scorching hot, but Dallas was able to limit everyone else's effectiveness to escape with the victory. Here are three takeaways from Tuesday night's win.

READ MORE: Kyrie Irving Leads Mavericks Over Timberwolves in WCF Rematch, 120-114

1. Luka Doncic Will Haunt Minnesota Forever

Luka Doncic was already feared by most Timberwolves fans for his game-winner over Rudy Gobert in Game 2 of last year's Western Conference Finals. He gave them deja vu by hitting a deep shot late in the shot clock in the waning minutes to effectively put the game out of reach and immediately turned to the crowd to talk trash. It wasn't a particularly great game from Doncic once again, as that was the only three-pointer he hit out of eight attempts, but he'll always rise to the occasion.

2. The First Game Where the Three-Point Shooting Showed Up

Dallas was in a mini-shooting slump to start the season, and it caused some people to be concerned about the team's three-point threats. They helped ease some of those concerns Tuesday night, as they shot 15/31 from three-point range, outside of Doncic's 1/8 performance, and that's even with Klay Thompson shooting just 2/7. Kyrie Irving was 6/8, Quentin Grimes was 3/5, and PJ Washington was 3/6. When everyone else is shooting at a high level, their offense becomes impossible to guard.

3. Dallas is Fouling Too Much

The Mavericks were a little fortunate to get out of Minnesota with a win. The Timberwolves attempted 26 free throws to Dallas' 18, but the Wolves made just 17 of them, with Anthony Edwards missing six free throws in a game they lost by six. He shot 83.6% from the free-throw line last tear and it's not often he'll have a performance like that from the charity stripe. This is two games in a row the Mavs have allowed a lot of free throws, and it's something they need to clean up with a five-game home stand coming.

READ MORE: Luka Doncic Suffers Injury Scare in Mavericks-Timberwolves

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