3 Takeaways From Mavericks' Christmas Loss to Timberwolves

Dallas' comeback effort was too little, too late

Dec 25, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) brings the ball up court against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas on Wednesday afternoon, nearly erasing a 28-point Minnesota lead before falling 105-99. Dallas got the lead down to two in the final minute, but they couldn't ever re-take the lead.

The biggest story coming out of the game is Luka Doncic's calf strain that forced him to miss the second half. Shams Charania said Doncic is expected to miss an "extended period of time," but Dallas will know more after an MRI on Thursday.

In Doncic's absence, Kyrie Irving put up 39 points while carrying the team on his back. Unfortunately for the Mavs, it was too little, too late.

Here are three takeaways from Wednesday's loss.

READ MORE: Luka Doncic Expected to Miss 'Extended Period of Time' With Calf Injury

1. Deficient Defense in Middle Two Quarters

Minnesota's offense has struggled in recent games, so this was an opportunity to establish a dominant defense. Dallas' defense was fine in the first quarter and great in the fourth, but stops were hard to find in the second and third. The Timberwolves scored 64 points, shooting 24/40 (60%) from the floor and 10/18 (55.6%) from three. 13 of those field goals resulted from an assist, emphasizing how smoothly their offense was running. With how close the game got at the end, showing any better effort after Doncic went out could've been the difference.

2. The Other Guys Weren't Great

Kyrie Irving put the team on his back with 39 points on 14/27 shooting, and Doncic was playing well before he went down with his injury. Everyone else was lackluster, combining for 46 points on 17/51 (33.3%) shooting. That isn't good enough in a game without Luka Doncic, especially when the two bigs of Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II were a combined 3/9, and Spencer Dinwiddie was 0/7. Maxi Kleber was the only other Maverick to shoot above 50% from the floor in this game, and he took three shots. This team has a lot of depth, but they've had the occasional stinker like this one.

3. Life Without Luka Doncic

Dallas will likely be without Luka Doncic for a few weeks as he recovers from this calf strain, and the Mavs will want to play this as safe as possible. This is already the fifth lower-body injury he's dealt with this season, and we're just 30 games in. They've mostly played well in games without Luka Doncic this season, including in a big win against the OKC Thunder, but this could be a long stretch without him. If Wednesday's second and third quarter was any indication, Jason Kidd has some adjustments to make.

READ MORE: Mavericks' Comeback Bid to Timberwolves on Christmas Falls Just Short, Lose 105-99

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