Mavericks hit the road on second night of back-to-back to play Timberwolves

The Dallas Mavericks won a basketball game on Sunday night! It's the first one since they fired Nico Harrison from his general manager post last week, but it also comes in a stretch where it was the first of five games in seven days. And Sunday's win against Portland was their second straight overtime game, as they went to double overtime on Friday night in a loss to the LA Clippers.

They'll be playing against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, hoping to establish a winning streak for the first time this season. But this game will put the theory of dead legs to the test.

Cooper Flagg is only getting better and better. He only attempted three shots in the first half on Sunday evening, but then he ended up with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Ever since Jason Kidd moved him away from starting at point guard, he's been great, which is why everyone was so confused at that move to start the season.

That's not to say that Brandon Williams or D'Angelo Russell have been game-changers, because they haven't been, but Flagg is clearly just a lot more comfortable as a secondary initiator. It's becoming more and more clear that Flagg is the timeline that this team needs to be on, but they're stuck with a veteran-laden team for now.

Nov 16, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) reacts during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

One of those veterans, Klay Thompson, seems to be finding his groove off the bench. He's 15/37 (40.5%) from three in his last three games, which is also an excessive amount of threes, but the team needs that kind of shooting.

Minnesota is plagued by some of the same issues as Dallas, as they don't have any good point guard play either. Mike Conley is at the end of his career, and Rob Dillingham just isn't ready for consistent NBA minutes yet. Donte DiVincenzo has been the starting point guard, but Julius Randle is actually leading the team in assists. In general, Randle has had a really good season, averaging 25.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 6.5 APG.

Anthony Edwards has been Anthony Edwards, averaging 27.3 PPG, but the jump from Jaden McDaniels has been impressive this year. He's up to 17.7 PPG while still playing his great defense. He'll likely get the matchup on Cooper Flagg for this game.