Kyrie Irving scores 16 of his 35 points in the 3rd quarter and knocks down six of his eight 3-point attempts.

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MINNEAPOLIS — Both sides set up this matchup as something clinical rather than emotional, despite the obvious high-stakes recent history between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Only five months ago, the two men met at Western Conference Finalsa bloody battle that the Mavericks won in five games. They were back at Target Center, where Dallas won three times in this series, including a 124-103 rout that sent the winners into the championship round. Minnesota has been busy working to improve this season and, after its own five-game elimination from the Finals, Dallas did too.

“It was last year. It’s a new year,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said before Tuesday’s nationally televised clash. “It’s a different team. It’s a different team.

Wolves coach Chris Finch didn’t suppress the story like Kidd, but he came close.

“We didn’t build a team to beat Dallas,” Finch said. “Right now we’re trying to figure out who we are every night.

“We don’t see this as a revenge, or even a rivalry. They’re a great team, they deserved to win this series, I’m sure the guys will remember that. …But it’s so early in the season, I’m sure they’re trying to figure out who they are.

“But it’s fun to play against these teams early on, because you learn a lot about yourself.”

Hey, it’s our department, with five takeaways from the Mavericks Victory 120-114:

1. 2 creators, 2 farmers, 2 QBs

Imagine having Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes as your starting quarterback and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson as your backup. Now imagine being able to play them together. This could distract the defenses, don’t you think?

That’s what NBA defenses think about Dallas’ deployment of Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving in their backfield, er, backcourt. This no longer constitutes news. More than that, it’s an appreciation for how intimidating they can be with the teammates the Mavs have acquired swirling around them.

Irving scored 35 points, including 25 after halftime and 16 in the third quarter. These were particularly vital as it was unclear how long and how Dončić was going to play after twisting his right knee in the second quarter. The veteran point guard made six of 10 3-point attempts and 13 of 23 shots overall, playing 39 minutes after recording nearly 36 Monday against Utah.

“It’s all about feeling,” Kidd said. “For him, it’s a question of energy. And whatever the team needs at that moment.

Dončić labored for much of the match, verbally toying with some fans on the pitch who didn’t care for the truth on Tuesday. He missed his first seven 3-pointers – but with 1:04 left and the Wolves closing in, he made his eighth from 33 feet to make it 117-109.

“Someone just said, ‘We’ve seen this movie before,'” Kidd said. “Luka likes the opportunity to win the match.”

Dončić said: “I don’t know how I make these shots and not the normal shots. …I just need to remove the rust.

Boo-beep-hoo. Finch spoke for many NBA coaches and their concern against Dallas when, earlier in the evening, he said: “They have an incredible pick-and-roll game, of course they have an incredible pick-and-roll game. Kyrie-iso and now (with Klay Thompson) they have an off-ball game. They have become multifaceted. They can shift gears to do different things.

2. First statement game for Mavs

While Minnesota was absent since Saturday, Dallas had to hang on against Utah on Monday evening. Irving totaled the aforementioned 75 consecutive minutes while Dončić racked up 40 in addition to the 33:12 he got against the Jazz.

However, Dallas took a 9-0 advantage on the quick counterattack in the third quarter. The Mavericks outscored the Wolves 67-48 overall in the second and third. And while the Mavs had almost as many turnovers as Minnesota in the first half, 10-9, the visitors erased that number with just one in the final 24 minutes.

It’s evident that PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford, so valuable as midseason acquisitions last season, are now more familiar and integrated. Young center Derek Lively II is no longer a rookie. And newcomer Naji Marshall, while known for his offense, made a defensive impact Tuesday with three rebounds and two steals.

3. Edwards attacks from afar

One of the saddest days in recent NBA history came when Vince Carter, the league’s best dunker in his prime, chose to modify his game to reduce the wear and tear associated with the invasion of the NBA. paint. He was still a young player, transitioning like he was Michael Jordan at 38 years old.

Hopefully Anthony Edwards, at 23, won’t rob the NBA of its many beachside highlights. But he, too, has shifted to more of a ground game so far this season, playing happily with his shooting 3 points as if it were a new toy.

Over his first four seasons in Minnesota, Edwards averaged 7.4 attempts from the arc and made 2.6 on 35.3 percent success. In four games this season, he has almost doubled that with 13.3 attempts, 5.5 completions and 41.5% accuracy.

Edwards was red hot to start Tuesday. He made six 3-pointers in the first 12 minutes and scored 24, his most in a single quarter. and a target center record for any quarter. Dallas paid extra attention to him from there and Edwards scored just 13 more over the final three quarters and went 1 of 5 from the arc.

However, it is clear that he is writing a new chapter in his burgeoning career.

“Have we replaced his mid-range with a three or (is he) just taking more threes and keeping the mid-range the same?” Finch joked before the match.

“He’s at a point where he really trusts his shot. We’ve been telling him for years that you’re a great 3-point shooter. But he has a lot of play and likes to dribble the ball…”

4. Dallas crashed the glass late

The Mavericks had just one more offensive rebound, 12, than Minnesota. By the fourth quarter, each team had five. But Dallas’ came at critical times, frustrating the Wolves. Striving to come back from a 13-point deficit becomes terribly difficult when the other team appears to be playing away.

“The stabs at the end, when you’re trying to come back, are super painful,” Finch said, “but their offensive rebounds, there was a lot of transition, not fast enough, and Kyrie is getting loose on us.”

Lively (2), Gafford, Washington and Dončić all snuck in to create a second or even third chance for the Dallas attack – and kill the clock.

“It’s on us, especially on me,” Edwards said, “I’m big as hell. I have to be able to box them big.

5. Randle fits in

Newly acquired power forward Julius Randle brought a somewhat retro style of play when he was traded by New York along with Donte DiVincenzo to the Wolves for Karl-Anthony Towns. It’s fun to see old-school possessions initiated in the low post, but it may be a challenge in today’s best-of-three.

So far, so good. Randle had 20 points with seven rebounds, seven assists and 3-of-3 shooting from the arc. He played fluidly, without forcing anything, seizing opportunities when his teammates were looking for him.

In four games, Randle is averaging 23.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and shooting 62.5% from three (10 of 16).

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Steve Aschburner has been writing about the NBA since 1980. You can email him herefind his archives here And follow him on.

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