Doncic Returns, Mavs Rematch vs. Timberwolves GAMEDAY
The Dallas Mavericks hit the road to Minnesota for a one-game road trip to battle with the Timberwolves for NBA playoff positioning on Friday night.
Four days ago, the Mavs prevailed 110-108 over the scrappy Timberwolves on a stormy night in Dallas. The playoff seeding order in the Western Conference is still far from being set, but a win for the Mavs would give them a five-game cushion in the loss column over the Wolves plus the regular-season series tiebreaker.
The Timberwolves are fighting an uphill battle to escape the play-in tournament; expect a very motivated Minnesota team looking for a win against one of the teams they're chasing.
After missing the game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, Luka Doncic is expected to be back in action. For Minnesota, Karl Anthony-Towns is questionable for Friday's showdown with a right forearm contusion.
MEANINGFUL MILESTONE: Dallas has a real shot at finishing with more than 50 wins this season. Of the Mavs’ final nine games, four will be against NBA Lottery-bound teams with zero motivation: Washington, Portland, Detroit and San Antonio. Those potential wins get Dallas to 49, meaning it would only have to win two of its other six to get to 51.
© Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
© Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
FLASHBACK: Dallas leads the 2021-22 season series vs. Minnesota, 2-1 (the home team has won all 3 games)
INJURY REPORT, DALLAS: Dāvis Bertāns (right knee soreness) is out; Trey Burke (illness) is out; Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery) is out; Theo Pinson (right fifth finger fracture) is out.
RECORDS: DALLAS MAVERICKS (45-28) at MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (42-32)
WHEN: Friday, March 25, 2022 • 7:00 p.m. CT
LOCATION: Target Center (Minneapolis, MN)
TV/RADIO: BSSW, 97.1 The Eagle (KEGL)
Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
ODDS: The Mavs are 2.5-point underdogs to the Timberwolves.
NEXT: The Mavs host the Jazz on Sunday in an important game in Western Conference playoff seeding. The teams are tied at 45-28, although Utah will own the tiebreaker because they will be a division champion.
LAST WORD: Coach Jason Kidd on games around the leagues with playoff implications:
"We're not scoreboard watching too early. We've got to take care of ourselves and if we do that, we're going to accomplish one goal and that's to make it to the playoffs. We can't dictate who we are going to play."
