Fresh off winning the NBA All-Star Game MVP, Anthony Edwards returned to the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 40-point explosion to lead the team to a 122-111 win over the injury-ravaged Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
With the win, the Wolves have now won five of their last six games and are still undefeated against the Mavs this season, notching all three wins over them.
“[Chris] Finch is the toughest coach I’ve ever had… but it works out in my favor. He’s a big part of my success, honestly,” Edwards said postgame.
Anthony Edwards Erupts in Fourth to Keep Wolves Hot
Edwards exploded for 14 points in the fourth quarter to notch his eighth 40-point game this NBA season. He highlighted his torrid stretch with a step-back three to give Minnesota the lead entering clutch time.
Aside from Edwards, Naz Reid also contributed 21 points, while Rudy Gobert added a monster double-double of 22 points and 17 rebounds to fend off the feisty Mavericks.
However, Gobert’s presence in their next game may be in jeopardy, as the French center picked up his sixth flagrant foul of the season, prompting an automatic one-game suspension. He will be suspended in Minnesota’s next game unless the league decides to downgrade his flagrant to a common foul.
Mavs’ Bad Luck Continues
Still without Cooper Flagg, who is recovering from a left foot sprain, and with Kyrie Irving set to miss the remainder of the season, the Mavericks absorbed their 10th straight loss, their longest losing streak since 1998.
Sitting in the 12th spot in the West with a 19-36 record, the Mavericks are set to miss another postseason appearance and are headed to the lottery for the second straight year.
Dallas will look to return to the win column as they await Flagg’s return against the Indiana Pacers on Monday, while the Wolves will take on the Philadelphia 76ers without Gobert on the same day.
