Game Preview #60: Wolves at Mavericks

Game Info

• Who: Minnesota Timberwolves (30-29) at Dallas Mavericks (31-27)
• When: 7:30 p.m. CT
• Local TV: Bally Sports North (Michael Grady, Jim Petersen and Katie Storm)
• Radio: 830 WCCO-AM
• Line: Wolves +6 | Total: 232.5 (courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

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Injury Reports

Minnesota

AVAILABLE:

• Kyle Anderson - Back Spasms
• Rudy Gobert - Right Groin Soreness

OUT:

• Karl-Anthony Towns - Right Calf Strain

Dallas

OUT:

• Tim Hardaway Jr. - Hamstring
• Maxi Kleber - Hamstring
• Davis Bertans - Calf

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What to Watch For

Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

Kyrie Irving Makes Home Debut

Through three games in the Mavericks uniform, Kyrie Irving is averaging 26 points and seven assists while shooting 42% from beyond the arc.

Early returns prove that trading Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie and a first-round pick for the eight-time All-Star was a worthwhile move.

With both Luka Dončic and Irving sharing the floor for just the second time tonight, the Wolves have have a taller order defensively. Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards will likely be tasked guarding the two of them to begin, with Austin Rivers, Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson and Taurean Prince filling in as well.

Irving and Dončic combined for 55 points in the Mavs’ last outing against the Sacramento Kings, in which the Kings prevailed in overtime by a score of 133-128.

Josh Green’s Tremendous Shooting

Josh Green is in the 99th percentile of effective field goal percentage, according to Cleaning the Glass.

Since returning from injury on Jan. 18, Green is averaging 14 points per game on 56% shooting from the field. He’s been truly outstanding shooting the ball this season, as he shoots 79% at the rim (98th percentile) and a blistering 46% on 3-pointers taken above the break (100th percentile).

The Arizona product’s floor spacing will create problems for the Timberwovles’ defense, as they’ll attempt to guard Irving/Dončic while taking Green’s shooting into account.

Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images

Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker Suit Up for Game No. 2 for Minnesota

Mike Conley started in his Minnesota debut, playing 26 minutes and scoring nine points and dishing out three assists. The chemistry isn’t yet there with his new teammates — obviously — but that will come with time.

If Rudy Gobert plays on Monday night, it will be fun to watch Conley work with him in the pick-and-roll against a Mavericks team that will continue to search for defensive input after sending Finney-Smith to Brooklyn.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker played just two minutes in his first appearance in a Wolves jersey.

Will Jaylen Nowell’s Recent Hot Streak Continue?

Jaylen Nowell has scored 30 and 21 points in Minnesota’s last two games, respectively, shooting 9-for-19 from beyond the arc in those two games.

The last two games consisted of one lopsided victory and one lopsided loss (so read into that however much you’d like), but it’s encouraging to the see the fourth-year guard get back into some kind of scoring groove after struggling for much of the season.