Bones Hyland scored 24 points off the bench and LaMelo Ball added 22 points and nine assists as the Minnesota Timberwolves demolished the Dallas Mavericks 133-94 at Target Center on Thursday night, winning a fifth straight game despite still missing their two best guards. The 39-point margin was the exclamation point on a night when Minnesota shot 57.8 percent from the field and buried 15 three-pointers.
Hyland was 7-of-10 from the field and 5-of-6 from beyond the arc in just 23 minutes, while Ball went 6-of-10 from deep as the pair combined for 11 three-pointers. Ayo Dosunmu added 18 points and Jaden McDaniels had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Timberwolves, who outscored Dallas 74-42 in the paint. Zaccharie Risacher led the Mavericks with 22 points off the bench, but Dallas shot just 37.2 percent and saw its three-game winning streak end.
Winning without Edwards — again
The most impressive part of the rout is who was missing. Anthony Edwards remains out after right knee arthroscopy and Donte DiVincenzo is recovering from surgery on his right Achilles tendon, yet Minnesota improved to 9-3 and is now 6-2 in the games Edwards has missed this season. According to the Dallas Sports Journal, the Timberwolves broke the game open with a 36-17 third quarter after Dallas had cut the lead to one midway through the second, and Hyland scored eight points in the final 3:50 of the first half after checking in.
Depth is becoming Minnesota’s identity
Six Timberwolves finished in double figures, the ball moved freely and the defence held Dallas to 27.1 percent from three-point range — a complete performance from a team that was supposed to be shorthanded. The 74-42 advantage in the paint told the story of the night: Minnesota attacked the rim relentlessly while Dallas settled for jumpers. If the Timberwolves keep winning like this without Edwards, the Western Conference has a problem waiting for it when he returns.
The Mavericks, now 7-5, were never in it after half-time, and the Timberwolves led by as many as 34 points by the end of the third quarter. For Minnesota, the depth on show is becoming the story of the season: six players finished in double figures, the ball moved — 17 combined assists from Ball and Hyland alone — and the defence held Dallas to 27.1 percent from three. If the Timberwolves keep winning like this without Edwards, the West has a problem when he returns. The Knicks routed the Bucks 117-85 as Towns extended his double-double run, and Lillard turned back the clock as the Blazers stunned the Thunder 123-103.
