The Dallas Mavericks entered Target Center with a thin rotation, tired legs and their entire frontcourt unavailable, and the Minnesota Timberwolves immediately exposed those weaknesses in a 120–96 loss Monday night.

Naz Reid scored a season-high 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, leading a balanced Minnesota attack that featured 15 points apiece from Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert. Anthony Edwards added 13 points on a subdued 5-of-14 shooting night.

Minnesota broke the game open behind a decisive third-quarter surge, highlighted by McDaniels hitting three straight 3-pointers as the Timberwolves controlled the boards, forced turnovers and dictated pace. Dallas shot just 9-of-30 from deep, continuing a season-long slump, and struggled to generate rhythm without Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively II available.

The Mavericks were out-rebounded 60–42 and committed 19 turnovers that became 24 Minnesota points, falling to 4–11 on the season.

The loss underscored the mounting challenges Dallas faces without its top three centers, with Moussa Cissé making his first career start in an emergency role. Minnesota improved to 9–5 with the win, while Dallas remained winless against opponents with winning records.

Jason Kidd Addresses Fatigue, Turnovers and Lack of Consistency

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said Minnesota dictated the tempo and physicality from the start, capitalizing on the Mavericks’ depleted rotation.

“They were aggressive, give them credit. They came out and pressured us and we turned the ball over too many times against a talented team. We also didn’t play up to our standards on the defensive end,” Kidd said.

Kidd noted that two overtime games over the previous three days left the team drained, and foul trouble forced additional stress on limited lineups.

“The guys gave effort. We’re a couple guys down, so Lu is starting, he’s trying, DP, and then we got in a little foul trouble. I’ll look at this, hopefully get some rest, and then get ready for Wednesday,” Kidd said.

The turnovers were costly and recurring.

“Fatigue is a big part of it, but also playing a good team. Minnesota’s a good team, and they pressured us. We committed some turnovers. We can say it’s fatigue, but also we have to be better with the ball. No matter if we’re tired or not, we’ve turned the ball over a lot this season. We have to be better,” Kidd said.

Kidd added that Dallas cannot find its stride because injuries continue to force lineup changes on a nightly basis.

“This is just part of the season. Our health is a big problem. We have guys out for one game, then they’re in on a minutes restriction. So there’s no continuity,” Kidd said. “There won’t be any continuity. We’re trying to piece this thing together. Give those guys in that locker room credit — they’re fighting. It’s just what it is right now until we can get healthy.”

P.J. Washington Details Fatigue and Adapting to New Roles

P.J. Washington said the Mavericks lacked the energy necessary to match Minnesota’s physicality, pointing to Sunday’s overtime win and the travel that followed.

“Yeah, I mean, obviously we went to overtime last night. Long travel. Kind of sluggish. Felt like we didn’t really have any energy today. But it’s part of the business, part of what we gotta do. We gotta be better. Obviously just a long game and we can learn from it and try to get better from it,” Washington said.

Washington said Dallas never found stability with so many players in unfamiliar positions.

“Yeah, I would say so. A lot of guys out, a lot of guys playing positions they haven’t really played before in the league. Trying to play with new lineups we haven’t really seen together. Just trying to work the game as much as we can, trying to stick with it. Next man up mentality. Nobody’s gonna feel sorry for us. We just gotta go out there and keep fighting,” Washington said.

He added that the team must not let this stretch overshadow what Dallas is trying to build.

“Just stick with it. Things will turn. It’s not gonna rain forever. We gotta stick to our principles and build an identity. Don’t let each and every game get to us. Stick with our principles and things will turn,” Washington said.

Jaden Hardy Breaks Down His Readiness and Moussa Cissé’s First Start

Jaden Hardy provided one of the few sparks for Dallas with 17 points on 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc. He said fatigue was real but not something Dallas can lean on after another loss.

“I would probably say it was probably a little fatigue, but I wouldn’t make that an excuse. We just gotta come back with better intention, better energy, and try to win these games. We don’t want to keep dropping games. There’s a lot of guys in the locker room that wanna win, and I feel like it’s going to come soon,” Hardy said.

Hardy said his mindset doesn’t change regardless of his role.

“Just waiting for my number to be called, and whenever my number is called, being ready for those opportunities. Like you’ve seen today, coming out trying to be aggressive, trying to make an impact any way I can, get my teammates involved, and just try to be a threat out there,” Hardy said.

When initiating offense, Hardy said he is encouraged to rely on situational reads.

“Nah. I just pretty much go out there and try to play off my instincts. Try to make the right plays. When I’m open, take the shots. I’m not just trying to get off of it,” Hardy said.

He added that Dallas is adjusting on the fly without its three regular centers.

“Yeah, obviously this is a new guy, so still working on the chemistry with that. But with the bigs being out, it’s next man up. We gotta be able to cover for those guys until they get back,” Hardy said.

Hardy said the team remains confident despite the recent struggles.

“Yeah. I feel like that’s what keeps us going. It’s a great group of guys. We all like, men, are riding each other. We all think this isn’t gonna last long. I feel like we’re very close. Most of the games we lose, I feel like the games we are in are crunch-time games. We just gotta go back to watching film, execute when we get out there, and pay attention to detail,” Hardy said.

He closed by highlighting Cissé’s energy and the importance of his first career start.

“Moussa has done a great job ever since he’s got here. Bringing great energy. Whenever his number’s called, he tries to go out there and make the right plays, just being a spark for us. He’s done a great job of that. Today he got his first start — that’s a real big deal for someone like him who’s never done that before. I was happy for him and want to continue to see him grow and get better,” Hardy said.

What’s Next

Dallas hosts the New York Knicks on Wednesday at American Airlines Center.

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