Here are my 5 takeaways from the Dallas Mavericks’ 119-115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night at the Target Center:
1. LUKA DOES IT AGAIN: Why does Luka Doncic keep showing up in my five takeaways? Because game after game after game, the rookie from Slovenia keeps making big shot after big shot after big shot. Doncic did it again Friday when his walk-up 3-pointer with 23.9 seconds remaining put the Mavs ahead for good at 117-115. In fact, three baskets in the final 1:28 by Doncic gave the Mavs a lead after Minnesota had taken the lead. And it wasn’t just Doncic’s shot-making that was spectacular. His playmaking was also a picture of beauty, as he kept finding open teammates, even if they were clean on the other side of the floor. Overall, Doncic collected 29 points, eight rebounds, a career-high tying 12 assists and two steals.
2. BAREA CARRIED OFF THE COURT: J. J. Barea scored 16 points and distributed seven assists while again being the big-time quarterback of the Mavs’ second unit. It was the eighth time Barea has tallied at least 16 points in a game this season and the 14th time he’s dispensed at least seven assists in a game. Unfortunately, the 13-year veteran was helped off the court midway through the fourth quarter with what was diagnosed as a right leg injury. The injury occurred when Barea came down after scoring on a drive that put the Mavs up, 102-92, with 6:28 left in the game. The full extent of that injury will not be known until Barea is given an MRI on Saturday.
3. THE STEADY HAND OF BARNES: Harrison Barnes helped the Mavs stay afloat by quietly scoring 16 of his 23 points in the second half. That’s the most points any player on either team scored in the second half on Friday. And it wasn’t just the four critical baskets Barnes scored in the second half that were comforting for the Mavs, including a huge 3-pointer that gave Dallas a 105-95 lead with 5:50 left in the game. Barnes also dug in and got to the free throw line for five shots in the second half. It was, in fact, his pair of crucial charity tosses with 7.8 seconds remaining in the game that gave the Mavs a four-point cushion and accounted for the game’s final points. Barnes also converted 4-of-7 shots from beyond the 3-point arc.
4. BALL PROTECTION: The Mavs went into Friday’s contest ranked 28th in the NBA in turnovers at 15.4 per game. The Mavs have been preaching all season about taking better care of the ball, fully knowing that it could help lead to a few more victories. That talk came to fruition on Friday as the Mavs committed a season-low seven turnovers against the Timberwolves. That includes just one turnover by Luka Doncic, who entered Friday’s game with three or more turnovers in 29 different games this season. The lack of those catastrophic turnovers by the Mavs helped keep them out of chaotic situations and away from game-changing rallies by the Timberwolves. By the way, the Mavs’ previous low turnover number in a game this season were the eight they committed during a Dec. 18 contest at Denver.
5. POWELL ATTACKED THE RACK: Dwight Powell had his way with the Timberwolves — again. The backup center finished the game with 15 points and was 7-of-8 from the field. His seven field goals included five dunks and a pair of layups. Four of those dunks came via the alley-oop variety, including three of them off passes from J. J. Barea. Overall, this ties for the most field goals Powell has made in a game this season – he was 7-of-12 from the field against Orlando on Dec. 10. Powell’s 87.5 shooting percentage on Friday also is his highest of the season in games where he’s attempted at least five shots. His previous highest shooting percentage game was 85.7 percent when he went 6-of-7 from the field during the second game of the season against Minnesota. Powell also scored a season-high 19 points in that game.
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