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Timberwolves Wrap: Wolves hang on to beat Mavericks

By Ben Beecken

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 10: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket against the Dallas Mavericks on December 10, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 10: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket against the Dallas Mavericks on December 10, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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In what was a back-and-forth affair all evening, the Timberwolves hung on to beat the Dallas Mavericks at Target Center on Sunday night.

97. 86. Final. 92. 79

Finally, the see-saw ride is over.

After failing to win two or more games in a row since Nov. 17 — incidentally, the last time they beat the Dallas Mavericks — the Timberwolves have finally followed a win with a win and have now won three games out of four overall.

This game was a see-saw battle of its own with a ton of lead changes throughout. After the Mavericks built a multi-possession lead in the third quarter, the Wolves used an early fourth quarter run to build a modest lead of their own. But a J.J. Barea-led charge over the final few minutes of the game gave Dallas a one-point lead with exactly two minutes remaining.

After a Wolves timeout, Jimmy Butler knocked down a difficult turnaround jumper from the elbow, and the home team never relinquished their lead. It wasn’t easy, however.

After a stop by the Wolves and a basket from Andrew Wiggins over the mismatched and diminutive Yogi Ferrell, the Wolves got another stop and a foul that sent Wiggins to the free throw line. But the Wolves wing missed both freebies and gave the Mavs a chance with the ball down just three points with 24 seconds remaining.

Butler was called for a mostly phantom call on Barea, and the Wolves got the ball back with the slimmest of leads. Jamal Crawford calmly knocked down a pair of free throws, and after a miss from Dallas, Taj Gibson sealed the win with two free throws of his own.

Tweet of the Night

Key Takeaways

  • Karl-Anthony Towns was great throughout the night. He had 21 points at halftime and took advantage of Dallas’ decision to not bring a double-team on him in the low post. He appeared to have his knee landed on while diving for a lose ball late in the fourth quarter but returned to the game after checking out and getting looked at by the training staff.
  • Jimmy Butler was awesome on both ends of the floor once again. This was even more important than usual, as Gibson, Wiggins, and Jeff Teague all scored well below their respective averages. Wiggins and Teague combined to shoot just 7-for-21 from the field, scoring 19 total points.
  • The defense was okay, but only giving up 92 points was somewhat misleading. The Mavs missed a number of open shots, and the Wolves were helped on the boards by Dallas playing a small lineup for much of the game.
  • While it’s always nice to blow teams out, a win is a win is a win — especially against a Rick Carlisle-coached squad. The Wolves have now won their first three meetings with Dallas this year and won’t see them again until March.

Player of the Game

Karl-Anthony Towns: 28 points (10-15 FG, 2-4 3P, 6-6 FT), 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 7 turnovers

This award could have easily gone to Butler, and Towns’ horrific seven turnovers nearly kept him from being named our POTG. The seven turnovers weren’t quite as bad as they sound, if that makes any sense. A couple were questionable travel calls, and there were some miscommunications with teammates as well.

All in all, Towns did what he needed to do: he dominated on offense when the Mavs single-covered him and starred on the glass when they went small. He was active defensively as well, even if he was far from perfect.

Notable Box Score Lines

  • Jimmy Butler: 22 points (9-17 FG, 2-6 3P, 2-3 FT), 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, one turnover
  • Andrew Wiggins: 10 points (3-12 FG, 0-3 3P, 4-8 FT), 3 rebounds, one assist, one block, 3 turnovers
  • Jeff Teague: 9 points (4-9 FG, 1-3 3P, 3-3 FT), 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 turnovers
  • Taj Gibson: 6 points (2-4 FG, 2-2 FT), 9 rebounds, one block, 2 turnovers
  • Jamal Crawford: 16 points (5-9 FG, 2-3 3P, 4-4 FT), one rebound, one assist, one turnover

Butler was great and Wiggins was awful as mentioned above, although Wiggins did have a pair of made shots in the fourth quarter. Teague was just okay, and neither he nor Gibson were relied on much in this one.

Crawford had one of his better games of the season, scoring 16 points on nine shots in 20 minutes of playing time. With Wiggins struggling, Jamal played deeper into the fourth quarter than usual and produced in his extra time on the floor.

Next: Timberwolves Film: Keys to Taj Gibson's success

What’s Next?

The Timberwolves stay home to face the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night in a game that was moved backwards to 8:30 p.m. to accommodate ESPN’s broadcast schedule.

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