Edwards scores 26 points, Wolves beat Mavs 105-99 after Doncic injury

Anthony Edwards scored 26 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves held on for a 105-99 victory over Dallas on Christmas Day after Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic left the game with a left calf strain.

A rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals won by Dallas fell apart when Doncic blocked a play late in the second quarter on Wednesday. Then things got wild as the Mavs almost completely erased their 28-point deficit in the second half.

The five-time All-Star never made it back to the defensive end and limped off the court after Dallas called a timeout. It was Doncic’s second game back after missing two games due to a bruised left heel.

Kyrie Irving scored 39 points, but missed a 3-pointer that would have put the Mavs ahead in the final minute after they trailed by 28 late in the third quarter. Doncic scored 14 points.

Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Takeaways

Timberwolves: Julius Randle played against his hometown team in Dallas for the first time since the blockbuster trade that brought him from the New York Knicks. He had 23 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Mavericks: They finally overcame the malaise of the Doncic injury in the fourth quarter, cutting their 28-point deficit from the end of the third quarter to two.

Key moment

Doncic staying lame changed everything. The five-time All-Star is the reason the Mavs played their fifth straight Christmas game.

Key statistics

Timberwolves: Minnesota allowed an average of 121 points on 50% shooting during the three-game stretch before its third Christmas game. The defense led Dallas to a big lead.

Mavericks: Klay Thompson was 4 of 10 from 3, passing Reggie Miller for fifth place on the NBA career list. Thompson, who scored 12 points, has 2,562 to Miller’s 2,560.

Next

Minnesota at Houston on Friday. Dallas at Phoenix on Friday.