Dallas’ 22-Point Problem Was Bigger Than Its Stars

Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving combined for 22 points Thursday night. Zaccharie Risacher scored 22 by himself. That tidy comparison came in a 133-94 Minnesota Timberwolves victory, and it points to a Dallas problem broader than a quiet night from its two headline scorers.

Flagg finished with 12 points and Irving with 10. Risacher, a reserve, made 9 of 14 shots and 4 of 8 threes in 25 minutes. His production was the bright spot in a Dallas attack that never found another dependable route once Minnesota began pulling away.

The Mavericks had six lead changes early, then spent most of the night chasing a team that could score inside, outside and through several players.

This was not a case for pinning everything on the stars. Dallas shot 35 of 94 from the field, or 37.2 percent, and made 13 of 48 threes. A roster can survive a quiet scoring night from one featured player.

It becomes much harder when the shooting collapses across the lineup. P.J. Washington scored 10, Naji Marshall had 13 and Risacher supplied 22, yet Dallas still managed only 94 points because too many possessions ended without a reliable scoring option.

The opening half offered a warning before the rout arrived. Dallas trailed 67-52 at halftime, even though Risacher provided a productive stretch: a 23-foot three, a two-point basket and, later, a running dunk. Flagg also connected from 25 feet with 4:56 left in the second quarter, while Irving made a 24-foot three at 1:47.

Those baskets kept Dallas within reach for a while. They did not give the Mavericks an attack that could withstand Minnesota’s response.

The Timberwolves supplied plenty of credit-worthy offense. They shot 52 of 90, or 57.8 percent, made 15 of 32 threes and scored 74 points in the paint. Dallas scored 42 inside.

LaMelo Ball scored 22 while making 6 of 10 threes and handing out nine assists. Bones Hyland added 24 points, going 5 of 6 from deep. Minnesota received that production from several players at once.

Dallas had too few answers to keep pace.

The third quarter converted a bad position into a lost game. Minnesota opened with a 17-4 burst, moving from a 15-point halftime lead to 84-56 by the 8:02 mark. Ball’s 31-foot three made it 70-53.

Ayo Dosunmu, Jaden McDaniels and Jonathan Kuminga followed with scores, then Rudy Gobert finished an alley-oop layup for an 84-56 advantage. Dallas did get Irving’s three at 7:20, but the quarter ended 36-17 for Minnesota.

That sequence puts Risacher’s night in its proper place without diminishing it. He was Dallas’ most efficient scorer, and his six rebounds and three assists added substance beyond the shooting. But one productive reserve cannot serve as a complete offensive plan, particularly when some of the game’s later points came after Minnesota had built a 34-point lead.

Dallas needed several players creating pressure before the gap became enormous, not one excellent line to emerge after the contest had tilted.

The supporting cast had opportunities. Dallas’ starters scored 42 points, while the reserves scored 52, with Risacher accounting for nearly half of that reserve total. Morez Johnson Jr. went scoreless on 0-of-4 shooting.

Walter Clayton Jr. scored five and committed five turnovers. Those figures belong in the diagnosis, though they do not identify one villain. Dallas gave away 19 turnovers, shot poorly and could not match Minnesota’s finishing around the basket.

Flagg still contributed seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Irving added four assists while shooting 4 of 11. Their combined 22 points were insufficient, but those were not Dallas’ only contributions to the offense.

Martin had five assists, while Marshall and Clayton each supplied four. The Mavericks needed that passing to produce more made baskets across the rotation. Instead, several players finished with little scoring to show for their minutes.

One late-third-quarter possession captured the night’s odd shape. With 2:44 remaining, Flagg drove for a 5-foot floating jump shot, assisted by Risacher, cutting Minnesota’s lead to 97-63. It was a good individual finish and a sharp connection between two Dallas players who had supplied 34 of the Mavericks’ 94 points.

It also came after the game had already been decided. The more pressing question is how Dallas finds that second route while the score still leaves room for one.

Sources

ESPN: Mavericks–Timberwolves final box score and play-by-play

Associated Press via ESPN: Mavericks–Timberwolves report

NBA: Thursday official availability report