MINNEAPOLIS — It doesn’t take long for things to change in the NBA.
Nearly two years ago, the Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves met in the Western Conference Finals. Both teams were led by young superstars and appeared to be championship contenders for years to come.
That is no longer the case, at least for Dallas. Minnesota reached the NBA’s Final Four again in 2025 and remain competitive enough to accomplish the feat for a third straight year, but the Mavericks recently hit the reset button to rebuild for its future.
The Mavericks suffered a 122-111 loss to the Timberwolves on Friday, which increased their season-long losing streak to 10 games, the first double-digit losing streak for the franchise since 1998.
Mavericks
Dallas finishes the season series winless against Minnesota at 0-3 and has struggled against the Wolves with a 1-5 record since that Western Conference Finals clash.
The home stretch of the NBA season has officially started, but the Mavericks struggled on Friday despite the seven-day layoff from games courtesy of the All-Star break, mainly because of the lack of available bodies on the bench.
Playing shorthanded has been the story of the last two seasons for the Mavericks since their gentlemen’s sweep of the Wolves in the 2024 Western Conference Finals. Friday wasn’t an exception, but both teams are vastly different in 2026, especially the Mavericks — who once relied on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but has since passed the baton of the franchise to Cooper Flagg.
The Mavericks played without Irving and Flagg, who missed his second straight game with a left midfoot sprain. At 19 years old, Flagg is already the No. 1 option for the Mavericks and their primary source for offense, whether it be from his own hands or his teammates.
The Mavericks nearly matched Minnesota’s firepower without their rookie sensation and Max Christie, who missed Friday’s game with a left ankle sprain. Dallas finished with shooting splits of 42.3% from the field and 32% from the 3-point line, compared to Minnesota’s clips of 47.5% and 38.1%.
The loss was a similar outcome to earlier this season when the Mavericks suffered a 24-point loss on Nov. 17 without Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II and Kyrie Irving. They also had a 13-point loss in Dallas in a game without Flagg on Jan. 28.
Meanwhile, the Wolves had the full allotment of their players, including Anthony Edwards, who was fresh off a marvelous performance in Los Angeles that led to his first All-Star MVP.
Edwards may not want to be looked at as the face of the league, but he remains the head of the snake for the Timberwolves and he used the momentum gained from his successful weekend in Los Angeles to torch the Mavericks for 40 points and 6 rebounds.
Edwards dazzled throughout the night. His signature moment occurred with 4 minutes and 48 seconds left when he scooped in a floater over PJ Washington and Gafford to give the Wolves a sizable six-point lead. He pointed to both players and stared at his left hand, almost in disbelief to celebrate the moment.
Rudy Gobert added a double-double of 22 points and 17 rebounds.
Those two mainstays from the West Finals are part of the reason why Minnesota has a good case to make another deep playoff run, along with Plano native Julius Randle and backup big man Naz Reid. The veteran center produced the best sequence of the game with a behind-the-back dribble in transition that led to a thunderous poster dunk over Gafford in the first quarter.
Without Flagg and Christie, the re-tooled Mavericks are trying to figure out how to play with each other once again after an active trade deadline that brought Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, Tyus Jones and AJ Johnson into the fold.
Before the game, Jason Kidd was asked how his team would produce offense without Flagg and simply said: “Next man up.”
Seven players scored in double figures and played pivotal parts in the well-balanced offensive efforts.
Middleton produced his best game since joining the Mavericks with XX points and X rebounds. Naji Marshall scored 15 points with 5 rebounds. Bagley added another solid performance with 15 points and 13 boards, his second double-double in his first four games with the Mavericks.
Williams, who was a two-way player in 2024, is one of six players still on the roster from nearly two seasons ago that beat the Wolves. He had 13 points off the bench.
Before the game, Wolves coach Chris Finch reflected on how quickly things can change in the NBA, citing the Memphis Grizzlies as the perfect example. The Grizzlies reached the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, but they traded most of that core and are headed toward the draft lottery this year.
“I think you have to embrace the opportunities when you’re there,” Finch said. “For one reason or another, things might change quickly on you.”
In Dallas’ case, trading Doncic for Davis and subsequent injury misfortune caused a plummet to the bottom of the conference, but Flagg provides hope for a franchise seeking a return to the top.
At the rate the NBA is headed, with seven different champions over the last seven seasons, it’s quite possible fortunes can improve nearly as fast as they declined.
“Things change really, really fast,” Finch said, “and you kind of gotta go for it when you’ve got that chance.”
On Twitter/X: @MikeACurtis2
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