Game-Ending Hot Potato: 3 Big Takeaways from Mavs' Failed Comeback vs. Timberwolves

Despite nearly coming back from a 26-point deficit, the Dallas Mavericks fell short in the final seconds to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.

The Dallas Mavericks (31-28) failed in their comeback pursuit on Monday, falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves (31-29), 124-121.

Minnesota jumped out the gate firing on all cylinders as Dallas' defense had little-to-no answers for the Timberwolves on the offensive end of the floor. 

It was one of those nights for the Mavericks through two and a half quarters where they just looked lifeless, but then … the fourth quarter happened.

Kyrie Irving exploded, scoring 26 points in the final 12 minutes, but it wasn't enough for the Mavericks. Irving and Luka Doncic failed to get a shot off on their final possession, and the game ended in a three-point loss. 

Irving finished with 36 points, five rebounds, six assists, and two steals on 15-of-23 from the field, including his fourth quarter eruption. 

Doncic was right there behind his new running mate, finishing with 33 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists on 10-of-20 shooting from the floor.

Christian Wood added 24 points off the bench and provided a much-needed spark when the game was getting away from the Mavs in the first half.

Here are the 3 big takeaways from the Mavs’ second consecutive loss with Doncic and Irving playing together.

"You shoot it!" … "No, you shoot it!"

That's how the final possession felt in last night's loss.

Following a bad pass by Theo Pinson on the inbound, Doncic brought the ball up from the backcourt, which was followed up by a game of hot potato between he and Irving. It resulted in a turnover and the Mavs failing to get a shot off at the buzzer. 

Granted, Minnesota's defense from Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels was ferocious, but the hesitancy between Doncic and Irving was what ultimately led to a poor final possession. 

We get it -- two alpha males who see themselves as the go-to guy at the end of games and have only played two games together -- but, you have to get a shot up. 

It's a learning curve and the two stars will be better from it going forward as the Mavericks are no stranger to clutch game situations.

Irving's Heroics

This is exactly why you make that trade.

It was the Kyrie Irving show in the fourth quarter last night, as he scored 26 of Dallas' 39 points in the final frame to singlehandedly get the Mavs back in the game. 

Whether it was from deep, midrange, or attacking the cup, Irving's elite scoring ability was on full display.

Irving's 26-point fourth quarter came after scoring just 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting through three quarters. It was the third-most points scored in a single quarter in Mavericks history.

It's hard to remember a fourth quarter in a clutch situation where Doncic only had five points, and yet the Mavs had a shot at winning.

That's the Irving effect.

Defense, anyone?

Getting stops were hard to come by for the Mavs, as they allowed 124 points to the Timberwolves. And over half of those points (64) came in the paint.

The loss of Dorian Finney-Smith has already been evident along with the absence of Maxi Kleber, who remains out rehabbing his torn hamstring. Kleber is expected to return after the All-Star break, though.

Following the loss, coach Jason Kidd spoke on Dallas' defense, or lack thereof. 

"No (it's not an issue). We're here to outscore people. People come to see points, not 80-80. We're here to score. This is the new NBA," Kidd said.

It's an interesting pivot from Kidd, as he has consistently preached defense over his almost two-year stint as Dallas' head coach. But with the addition of Irving and looking at the Mavericks' personnel as a whole, he's right about outscoring people. By the looks of it, though, the defense may be more of an issue than Kidd wants to admit.

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