The Minnesota Timberwolves invade the American Airlines Center to battle the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night. Here's a Timberwolves vs Mavericks prediction.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been in red-hot form as they've won nine of their last 11 games overall, but they will be hoping to bounce back after having their six-game win streak halted by the Pelicans in a 121-107 road loss on Monday. Karl-Anthony Towns, Mike Conley and Naz Reid all scored 17 points each while Shake Milton and Jaden McDaniels scored 12 points apiece. As a team, the Timberwolves shot 44 percent from the field and 13 of 36 from the 3-point line as they stayed within striking distance despite their poor shooting, until the Pelicans opened the fourth quarter with a pivotal 9-0 run to slip away from them. The Wolves are at the top of the Western Conference with a 17-5 record, two wins ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder (15-7).
Dallas Mavericks
Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks are starting to heat up as they are looking to build on their four-game win streak after outlasting the Lakers in a 127-125 home win on Tuesday. Luka Doncic led the team with 33 points and 17 assists on 12 of 28 shooting, Dante Exum added 26 points on eight of 10 shooting while Tim Hardaway Jr provided the spark off the bench with 32 points on 10 of 21 shooting. As a team, the Mavericks shot 49 percent from the field and a sizzling 21 of 43 from the 3-point line as they poured in 71 points in the first half to build a 15-point lead which proved to be just enough to hold off a late rally from the Lakers in the fourth quarter. The Mavs are 3rd in the West with a 15-8 record and are just ahead of the Denver Nuggets (16-9).
Dallas Mavericks Player Facts
- Dereck Lively II ranks 1st amongst qualified players for FG% (73.7%) this season.
- Luka Doncic is the only player to have recorded a 40+ point triple-double this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Mavericks rank 1st in the league for turnovers per game this season (11.9).
- The Mavericks rank 1st in the league for three-point field goals made per game this season (16.3).
- The Timberwolves rank 1st in the league for opponent field goal percentage this season (43.0%).
- The Timberwolves rank 1st in the league for Q3 opponent points per game this season (24.4).
Timberwolves vs Mavericks prediction
The Timberwolves could again be shorthanded with Anthony Edwards, Jordan McLaughlin and Jaden McDaniels all questionable, while the Mavericks have ruled out Kyrie Irving again and they have Derrick Jones Jr and Seth Curry both listed as questionable. The Timberwolves were running through teams before they lost Edwards to injury, while the Mavericks are starting to play some of their best basketball of the season despite missing key players like Kyrie Irving. It's hard to split these two teams with injuries playing such a big factor, but the Mavericks look like the better team at the moment and I think they get the win and cover at the short line at home.
AUTHOR: Peter Tran
