On February 1, 2024, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued, and the Timberwolves hosted the Mavericks. It's a matchup of disparities, with the Timberwolves holding the second-best record in the West and the Mavericks second-to-last in the West.
The Timberwolves took the initiative in the game, building a lead from the start, and as the game progressed, they gradually widened the margin to eventually beat the Mavericks 121-87 for their 40th win of the season and remain firmly in second place in the West. The Mavericks, on the other hand, suffered their 38th loss of the season and remain in the second-to-last position in the West, with no hope of making the playoffs.
The Timberwolves had a stellar performance, with six players scoring in double figures, with Towns being the biggest contributor, scoring a game-high 29 points, along with nine rebounds and four assists, as well as five three-pointers from the outside, showcasing his all-round ability. Gobert also had a good performance, with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks, putting a lot of pressure on the Mavericks inside. Reed and McDaniels scored 15 and 14 points, respectively, and they played an important role on the wings, providing firepower for the Timberwolves. Conley also had a well-rounded contribution, with 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists, playing a consistent role at the point guard position, and Beverley, who came off the bench, also had a good performance, with 10 points and six rebounds, causing a lot of problems for the Mavericks' guards on the defensive end.
The Mavericks were pretty average, with only four players scoring in double figures, with Green the highest with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists, and four three-pointers from the outside, the only bright spot on the team. Hardy also had a good performance, scoring 16 points and five assists, showing his ability to break through and pass, but he didn't shoot well from the field, shooting just 2-of-6. Hardaway and Holmes scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, and they had some points inside and from midrange, but they didn't pose much of a threat to the Timberwolves on the defensive end.
The Timberwolves showed their strength from the start of the game, and they went on a 12-2 run in the first quarter to end the first quarter with a 24-21 lead. Towns and Green both had impressive performances in the quarter, scoring nine and eight points, respectively, and their outside shots caused a lot of problems for the opposing team.
In the second quarter, the score was deadlocked, and the Mavericks relied on the continuous impact of Hardy, Green and other players to hit the basket and once chased the score to 39-40. However, Towns came into play again at this point, hitting three consecutive three-pointers from the outside to end the half with a 52-48 lead. Towns scored 18 points in the first half and was the Timberwolves' leading scorer.
In the third quarter, the Timberwolves continued to maintain an efficient offense, and they unleashed a 31-22 attack wave in the quarter to end the third quarter with an 83-70 lead. Towns scored seven more points in the quarter, and his scoring reached 25 points, and his firepower from the outside made it impossible for the Mavericks to defend. Players such as Gobert, Reid, and McDaniels also had good performances, putting a lot of pressure on the interior and on the wings. The opponent seemed powerless, did not find an effective way on the offensive end, had a low shooting percentage, and did not cause much difficulty for the Timberwolves on the defensive end.
In the final quarter, the Timberwolves continued to extend their lead, and they launched a 19-4 attack wave in this quarter to stretch the score to 102-74, and the game completely lost its suspense. The bench players also had a good performance, they were positive on both the offensive and defensive ends, and did not give the opposition any chances. The Mavericks completely collapsed, scoring just 17 points in the quarter, staggering offense and losing the fighting spirit of the defense to the Timberwolves 87-121.