Kyrie Irving scores 16 of his 35 points in the third quarter and makes six of his eight 3-point attempts.

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MINNEAPOLIS – Both sides framed this game as clinical rather than emotional, despite the obvious recent high-stakes history between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves.

It was only five months ago that the two met at the Western Conference Finalsa bloody battle that the Mavericks won in five games. They were back at Target Center, where Dallas won three times in that series, including a 124-103 rout that propelled the winners to the championship round. Minnesota went to work to improve this season, and after its own five-game exit in the Finals, Dallas did, too.

“That was last year. This is a new year,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said before Tuesday’s nationally televised clash. “This is a different team. “They are a different team.”

Wolves coach Chris Finch didn’t blow out the backstory like Kidd, but he came close.

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

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

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

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

1. 2 creators, 2 closers, 2 quarterbacks

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. It could distract defenses, don’t you think?

This is how NBA defenses feel about the deployment of Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving in their backfield, that is, in their defensive zone. This is no longer news. More so, it’s an appreciation of how discouraging they can be with the teammates the Mavs have acquired hanging around them.

Irving scored 35 points, 25 of them after halftime and 16 in the third quarter. Those were especially vital because it was unclear how long or how long Dončić would play after injuring his right knee in the second quarter. The senior guard made six of his 10 3-point attempts and 13 of 23 shots overall, playing 39 minutes after scoring nearly 36 on Monday against Utah.

“It’s a matter of how you feel,” Kidd said. “For him it’s about energy. And whatever the team needs at that moment.”

Dončić labored for much of the match, verbally sparring with some fans on the court, whose taunts rang true on Tuesday. He missed his first seven three-point shots, but with 1:04 left and the Wolves closing in, he scored his eighth from 33 feet to make the score 117-109.

“Someone just said it: ‘We’ve seen this movie before,'” Kidd said. “Luka loves the opportunity to win the game.”

Dončić said: “I don’t know how I make those shots and not normal shots. … I just have to get rid of the rust.”

Boo-bleep-hoo. Finch spoke for many NBA coaches and the concern they feel against Dallas when, earlier in the night, he said: “They have an incredible pick-and-roll game, of course they have a Kyrie-iso game and now (with Klay Thompson) they have a game without the ball. They have become multifaceted. They can change gears to do different things.”

2. Early game for the Mavs

While Minnesota had been off since Saturday, Dallas had to hold out against Utah on Monday night. Irving totaled the aforementioned 75 consecutive minutes, while Dončić racked up 40 in addition to the 33:12 he got against the Jazz.

Yet here was Dallas taking a 9-0 lead on the third quarter fast break. The Mavericks outscored the Wolves 67-48 combined in the second and third. And although the Mavs had almost as many turnovers as Minnesota in the first half, 10-9, the visitors recovered with just one in the final 24 minutes.

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

3. Edwards attacking from afar

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

Let’s hope Anthony Edwards, at 23, doesn’t deprive the NBA of his many hoops highlights. But he’s also transitioned to a more running game so far this season, happily playing with his three-point shot as if it were a new toy.

In his first four seasons in Minnesota, Edwards averaged 7.4 attempts from beyond the arc and made 2.6 for a 35.3% success rate. In four games this season, he has almost doubled his scoring with 13.3 attempts, 5.5 successes and 41.5% accuracy.

Edwards was hot to start Tuesday. He hit 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 special attention from there and Edwards scored just 13 more in the final three quarters and was 1 of 5 from beyond the arc.

Still, it’s clear he’s writing a new chapter in his budding career.

“Have we replaced his midrange with threes or (is he) just taking more threes and keeping the same midrange?” Finch joked before the game.

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

4. Dallas broke the glass late

The Mavericks had just one more offensive rebound, 12, than Minnesota. In the fourth quarter, each team had five. But the one from Dallas came at critical moments, frustrating the Wolves. Trying to overcome what had been a 13-point deficit becomes tremendously difficult when the other team appears to be playing keep-away.

“The dagger shots at the end, when you’re trying to come back, are very painful,” Finch said, “but on their offensive rebounds, there was a lot of transition, they didn’t match you fast enough, and Kyrie is getting loose.” us.”

Lively (2), Gafford, Washington and Dončić snuck in to create second and even third chances for the Dallas attack and kill time.

“It’s up to us, especially me,” Edwards said, “I’m very big. I have to be able to defeat those big guys.”

5. Randle fitting in

Newly acquired power forward Julius Randle brought something of a retro style of play when New York traded him and Donté DiVincenzo to the Wolves for Karl-Anthony Towns. It’s fun to see old-school possessions initiated in the low post, but that can be a challenge in today’s wave of three-pointers.

So far, so good. Randle scored 20 points with seven rebounds, seven assists and 3-of-3 shooting from goal. He played fluidly, without forcing anything, taking advantage of opportunities when his teammates looked for him.

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

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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can email him. herefind your file here and follow him on x.

The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the NBA, its clubs, or Warner Bros. Discovery.