Mavs Game Observations: Game 4 @ Timberwolves [Game of the Week]
A statement win against a familiar foe
What a game!
The Mavericks secured their first big statement win of the season, beating their Western Conference rival, the Minnesota Timberwolves, 120-112 in a tough, hostile environment and despite a significant rest disadvantage.
The first matchup since last season’s Western Conference Finals, between what is developing into one of the biggest and most fun rivalries in the Conference, didn’t disappoint. It certainly justified my Game of the Week selection, a tag I was a bit wary to give due to Dallas playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
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Today’s notes:
Ant landing the wake-up punch
The Mavericks have two superstars: when one struggles, the other takes over…
…but the league is in big trouble when the other joins the party(🎞️VIDEO)
Gobert strength against Mavs big men speed
Another P.J. Washington is everywhere game
Bonus note on: Quentin Grimes’ and Naji Marshall’s audition for more minutes in a defensive-minded rotation
1-Ant landing the wake-up punch
The Mavericks looked like the team coming off no rest, trying to ease into the game. But Anthony Edwards had other plans. After the Suns game and in my preview for this matchup, I highlighted that Jason Kidd is asking a lot from Klay Thompson by assigning him to defend top scoring guards like Edwards and Devin Booker. Ant started the game with a quick layup on a drive against Thompson, followed by short bank shot on the next possession, curling off a screen, and then a wide-open three-pointer after Thompson and Irving miscommunicated on a switch.
Once you give a scorer like that so many easy looks early, the dam breaks open—and in this case, it practically blew off. Edwards scored 24 points in the first quarter, helping the Timberwolves build an early eight-point lead. To the Mavericks’ credit, they made adjustments by putting Washington and Marshall on Edwards in the second and third quarters, and he came back down to earth, shooting only 1-of-5 from three for the remainder of the game after going 6-of-8 in the first period.
2-The Mavericks have two superstars: when one struggles, the other takes over…
I used this line last year, when Irving and Dončić were taking turns taking over games. It was Irving’s turn for one of his signature takeover games last night. With Dončić struggling again (he was 5-of-17 from the floor through the first three quarters), Irving took over in the second half, scoring 25 of his 37 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-7 from three.
In the offseason, I found myself asking the most important question defining the title window for this Mavericks team: how long will we be admiring peak Kyrie? Games like last night support my prediction that decline isn’t on the horizon yet—and shouldn’t be for another couple of years.
Last night, Irving took on Dončić’s role as the primary hammer on offense, hunting for favorable switches and scoring against Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and others when the game turned into a playoff-style, iso-ball fest.
3-…but the league is in big trouble when the other joins the party(🎞️VIDEO)
This game turned into a playoff-like battle in the fourth quarter, between two teams that had just gone through a war a couple of months ago. For Dallas, it was simple screen actions to get a favorable switch and let the stars cook. Chris Finch tried to counter by playing small, with Randle at the five to stretch the Mavs' defense and pull their bigs away from the rim (Dereck Lively II had another excellent defensive game). The tactic almost worked—the Wolves made three consecutive threes in this 5-OUT setup—but in the end, it wasn’t enough to match the Mavericks' star power.
By star power, I mean stars—plural. Because in the fourth quarter, Dončić woke up and joined the party. And when that happens, the Mavericks have the best fourth-quarter scoring duo in the NBA.
Dončić and Irving combined for 20 of the Mavericks’ 27 points in the fourth quarter, both hitting some incredibly difficult shots. None was more impressive, perhaps, than the long, game-sealing step-back three Dončić made over Nickeil Alexander-Walker with the clock winding down and a minute left in the game.
Now, if Luka could only start making normal shots again…
4 - Gobert strength against Mavs big men speed
While the excitement and drama down the stretch felt playoff-like, some of the breakdowns by both teams throughout the game were unmistakably early-season moments.
For Minnesota, it was the turnovers (20 compared to the Mavs’ 9) and transition breakdowns. This was the second straight game in which the Mavs’ big men outran their stronger but slower opponents. If Lively did the most damage against the Jazz, then Washington and Gafford led the way in this one. Another game of the Mavs pushing the pace led to another game with over 20 percent transition frequency, resulting in the Mavericks winning the fast break points battle 20 to 10.
Apart from the first-quarter issues with Edwards, the other Mavericks mishaps that could have cost them came on the defensive glass. They struggled to box out Rudy Gobert all game (another addition to the “Gafford’s problems against physical bigs” file) and allowed four offensive rebounds off missed free throws.
The Mavs did their share of damage on the offensive glass, especially when Gobert wasn’t there to match their size. Lively made a big contribution in the fourth quarter, securing four extra possessions with his activity—most of them during the period when the Wolves went small.
5-Another P.J. Washington is everywhere game
After a standout defensive performance against the Jazz, Washington had another game where his hustle and energy made a big impact. I’ve already mentioned his influence in transition and how Kidd used him as the primary defender to slow down Edwards after his explosive first quarter.
Washington’s versatility was evident across the box score: he grabbed four offensive boards, eight total rebounds, dished three assists, snagged a steal, and finished with 17 points. Nine of those points came from three as Washington finally had a game where his shooting matched his all-around floor game.
Bonus note - Quentin Grimes’ and Naji Marshall’s audition for more minutes
Personally, I’m not a big fan of the Spencer Dinwiddie (or Jaden Hardy) as first guard off the bench experiment. I get the logic—to add more playmaking and shooting—but I think some of the defensive challenges against elite scorers in the starting five could be mitigated by quicker, more defense-focused substitutions.
To be fair, another adjustment Kidd made in the second half that made a difference was redistributing most of Dinwiddie’s and Hardy’s minutes to more defensive-minded Grimes and Marshall. Like Washington, Grimes needed a good shooting game and delivered, going 3-of-5 from three. Marshall still didn’t find his shot, but he contributed with strong defensive possessions, including stripping Edwards of the ball with 15 seconds left when the Timberwolves could still have thrown a final hail mary.
Really enjoying your insight.
I'm surprised that Hardy's minutes have been cut for Spencer. Hardy shot the ball really well in the first couple of games. I understand with Maxi out, moving Naji to the backup 4, Grimes to the backup 3, and adding Spencer to the rotation, but cutting Hardy's minutes for Spencer does not seem merited at this point.