The Mavericks look to continue their winning ways and keep their playoff hopes alive as they head into Minnesota to once again face the young and inconsistent Timberwolves. Let's see what they have in store.
What have the Wolves done lately?
Mostly lose, though they've beaten a few teams who could be considered their equals. The Wolves have lost their last two games, the most recent loss coming at the hands of the Mavs' current playoff rivals, the Jazz, on Friday night. But, they've won a handful (vs. the Kings, Wizards and Suns).
After last week's 20 point loss to the Clippers, Wolves coach Sam Mitchell publicly called out the team for "the worst game we've played all year." So. That's where they're at these days.
What do the Mavericks need to do to win?
Who even knows at this point, but I suppose more of the same? Rick Carlisle has been mixing it up quite a bit recently in terms of lineups, mostly out of necessity, but it seems to have been working, probably because he's giving teams some very different looks from earlier this season. Justin Anderson has seen some increased playing time, and his energy and fresh legs (relative to the rest of the team) have seemingly brought a spark to recent games. The Mavs will need that energy against the Wolves, who are mostly bad because they're, well, young. (And hence, have energy.)
No word on whether Deron Williams, who is fighting through a sports hernia, will be available for this game yet. He's indicated that he wants to try and fight through that injury to play, but
What other games should you pay attention to today?
Lots of other games with playoff implications for your Sunday: The Rockets are at the Thunder at the same time as this game. The Jazz are at the Suns and the Grizzlies are at the Magic, both at 5 p.m. Central. And the Trail Blazers are on the second night of a back to back at the Warriors at 7 p.m. Central.
How to watch
As per usual, you can catch the game on Fox Sports Southwest locally, or on NBA League Pass elsewhere. It's an early start at 2:30 p.m. Central.