Ant, Timberwolves Hold Off Mavericks After Luka Injury

Anthony Edwards dropped 26 points, leading the Timberwolves to a 105-99 dub over the Mavs on Christmas Day. Things took a turn when Luka Doncic left with a strained calf late in the second quarter, totally shifting the vibe of the game.

The matchup, hyped as a rematch of last year’s Western Conference finals, fell flat when Luka pulled up injured mid-play and didn’t even make it back on defense. The Mavs were down bad, but the game got wild in the second half when they almost erased a 28-point deficit.

Kyrie Irving went off with 39 points and had a chance to put the Mavs ahead in the final minute, but his 3-pointer fell short. Luka, playing his second game back from a heel injury, finished with 14 points before he dipped.

For the Wolves, Rudy Gobert held it down with 14 points and 10 boards, while Julius Randle balled out with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in his first game against Dallas since being traded.

The Mavs shook off the Luka injury slump in the fourth quarter and made it a game, cutting the massive 28-point lead to just two. But Luka going down completely shifted the energy—he’s the reason Dallas even had their fifth straight Christmas game.