Mavericks Return From All-Star Break to Face Minnesota Timberwolves

The Dallas Mavericks are back from the All-Star Break on Friday night as they're on the road to face the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Mavs are riding a 9-game losing streak, their longest since the 1990s, and it has a chance to stretch to 10 against a team they've already lost two games to this season.

Making matters more difficult is the absence of Cooper Flagg, who is dealing with a midfoot sprain. He was spotted in a boot while visiting Duke over the weekend, which had some fans concerned about his injury, but Jason Kidd believes Flagg could return at some point during this road trip. That won't help them in this game.

Without Flagg, it'll fall on players like Naji Marshall to pick up the slack if they want to win, but the Mavericks may not want to win. There's a lot of incentive to tank the rest of the season, as this is the last year they own their first-round pick until 2031, and this is a loaded draft class. They may say Flagg could come back in the next few games, but there's no reason to rush him back.

Feb 14, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Former Duke Blue Devils player Cooper Flagg looks on during the first half against the Clemson Tigers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are trying to separate themselves from a crowded middle pack of the Western Conference. They're currently the 6th seed, but they're only a couple of games back from the Denver Nuggets in third place.

Anthony Edwards is coming off winning the All-Star Game MVP over the break in what turned out to be a pretty entertaining night. There was a lot of criticism about the event in years past, but it turned out to be an entertaining contest because of the effort displayed. It'll never be a high-effort game because no one wants to get hurt, but at least they showed something in this game.

Julius Randle has also had an impressive last month of basketball, and he always does well against his hometown Mavericks. If that's the case again, this could be an ugly game.

Feb 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Team USA Stars guard Anthony Edwards (5) of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrates with the MVP trophy after the championship game during the 75th NBA All Star Game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

How to Watch: Dallas Mavericks at Minnesota Timberwolves

Date/Time: Friday, February 20th, 6:30 p.m. CST

Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Team Records: Mavericks 19-35, Timberwolves 34-22

TV/Streaming: ESPN, KFAA/WFAA, FanDuel Sports Network - North

Spread (via FanDuel): Timberwolves -13

Over/Under: 236.5

Moneyline: Timberwolves -620, Mavericks +460

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER

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