In one of the most highly anticipated Christmas games in a long time, two Western Conference powerhouses (Mavericks and Timberwolves) clashed in an epic battle at American Airlines Center. The scene was electric in Dallas, but the fans there were subject to major disappointment as they watched the Mavericks take the loss after a failed comeback attempt (105-99).
In their first game since the 2024 West Finals, it’s no wonder why this match started with such a heavy playoff atmosphere. After a 26-24 first quarter, things were going relatively well for both teams but things changed after Luka Doncic (14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists) went down with a left calf strain. He played just 16 minutes before being ruled out for the rest of the game.
Of course, Doncic has a long history of problems with his calf and to say that Mavericks fans are concerned might be an understatement.
“I don’t want to go as far as suggesting that Luka’s calf is cooked, but it’s been a constant problem for nearly a full calendar year now,” wrote one fan on the Luka injury.
Whatever the problem is with Luka, the Dallas Mavericks still somehow almost won the game. Thanks to a 39-point explosion from Kyrie Irving (along with 4 rebounds and 2 assists), Dallas came storming back in the second half to pull the game within 2 in the final minute.
“No Luka at that and you let the Mavs come back,” wrote one fan in disbelief. “Kyrie was going crazy in the third quarter tho…”
Fans were quick to write off the game after Luka’s initial injury, but the Mavericks responded by rallying together and it turned into must-see TV with Kyrie Irving going insane on the court.
“This Wolves vs Mavs game is crazy,” wrote an X user. “The Mavs were down like 20 points lol. It’s never over when Kyrie is playing .. let’s see what happens.”
The Mavericks fell just short of completing an amazing comeback without their best player but most of the attention was on the Timberwolves and the mistakes that almost cost them down the stretch.
“Lmao if the Timberwolves lose this game they owe every single fan because they must be breaking their TV on Christmas Day,” a fan posted on X.
The Timberwolves did win the game thanks to 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists from Anthony Edwards but it was far from the cleanest performance considering they barely scraped a win after taking a 28-point lead against a Luka-less Mavericks squad.
“This would be a gut-wrenching loss for Minnesota. You’ve led most of the night, Luka out with an injury, and everything seemed to be going right,” wrote one fan after the buzzer.
It remains to be seen when Luka will return to action but with the way that he was reacting, we can expect a somewhat extended absence to get himself healthy again.
Of course, the Mavericks should be able to hold on just fine with top-tier scorers like Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson ready to step up and take on a bigger responsibility. Currently, they are fourth in the West at 19-11.
Meanwhile, for the Timberwolves, they are slowly creeping up the standings and today’s narrow win will move them further up the ladder. While Minnesota remains a threat with Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Julius Randle, it’s clear that they still have some issues to work out after nearly blowing a massive lead.
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