It’s never easy for these Timberwolves. But they’ll take a win anyway they can get it. Minnesota snapped a three-game losing streak with its 105-99 win over the Mavericks on national television in a Western Conference Finals rematch. It’s a win the Wolves needed, and one that will serve them well by season’s end. But it did not come pretty. Well, for two and a half quarters it did. Dallas lost superstar Luka Doncic for the day to an injury early in the second quarter, and from there, Minnesota grinded the Mavericks’ offense to a pulp for the next frame and a half. In the 16 minutes following Doncic’s departure, Dallas scored 25 points total. That, paired with a more cohesive, well-paced offense helped Minnesota build a 28-point lead. And then the wheels fell off as Minnesota (15-14) dropped all of the good habits that helped it create the large lead and fell into its worst habits. Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates after hitting a three-pointer over Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley (10) in the first half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Emil T. Lippe) For the next 12 minutes, Minnesota stopped moving the ball entirely on offense and lacked attention to detail defensively. Kyrie Irving scored 15 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter and the Mavericks (19-11) had the ball down just two in the final minute. The Wolves held on to produce enough stops when they desperately needed them, and Anthony Edwards — a major culprit in the offensive shutdown that led to the Wolves scoring just 15 points over the final frame — scored twice in the final 77 seconds, including a drive to the rack to put Minnesota up four and effectively put the game on ice with 18 ticks to play. Minnesota extended its drought to 15 straight games of not scoring 110-plus points in regulation, but it certainly wasn’t all doom and gloom. There were reasons Minnesota built such a large cushion. The Wolves seem to have accepted the pace with which they must play to be a successful offensive team, as shown through the game’s first three quarters. They also have found lineup combinations that seem to function in more unison, including getting Julius Randle more minutes with the reserves, who are willing to run alongside him while he pushes the ball up the floor. Edwards finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Randle had 23 points, 10 rebounds and eight dimes. Rudy Gobert had a double double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Minnesota shot 47 percent from the field and 44 percent from deep while committing only 10 turnovers. That is a good formula for success for this team, on both ends of the floor. Its ability to execute it for 48 minutes remains to be seen. Related Articles Minnesota Timberwolves | Jace Frederick: Officiating comments show Anthony Edwards’ frustration is mounting as Timberwolves’ offensive struggles continue Minnesota Timberwolves | Timberwolves continue struggles, get swept by lowly Blazers in Portland Minnesota Timberwolves | Anthony Edwards explodes for nine triples as Timberwolves rout Portland Minnesota Timberwolves | Timberwolves again lean on offense to beat Bulls in Chicago Minnesota Timberwolves | Loss to Mavericks shows Anthony Edwards needs to do much more than score for Wolves