Our second Christmas game is an updated installment of last season’s Western Conference Finals. Luka Dončić averaged more than 32 points per game in that series, and he’ll look to reprise his dominance against a Timberwolves squad ranked fifth in defensive rating and fourth in scoring defense.
How to watch Timberwolves vs. Mavericks
Gift-wrapped good stuff: There are a lot of gifts here, but Dončić vs. Anthony Edwards is the equivalent of the luxury SUV with the huge red bow in the driveway. Two of the league’s best pure scorers and most pugnacious alpha dogs go at it Wednesday, with each trying more than 10 3-pointers a game this season. Edwards is still liable to posterize and humiliate at the basket, but more than half of his shot attempts are coming from deep thus far. He has six 30-point outings, the most recent coming Dec. 6 in a win over the Golden State Warriors. He also has the best defensive rating of his career. Edwards has certainly earned this Christmas Day debut.
Dončić gets buckets, often without needing much assistance. He’s in the 83rd percentile in isolation scoring and 95th percentile off handoffs. The Slovenian supernova has 10 30-point games, and notched a season-high 45 in a triple-doubling of the Warriors on Dec. 15, but hadn’t played since then due to injury until Monday’s win against Portland.
Stocking stuffers: It was looking a bit gnarly for Klay Thompson in new threads. But he’s been steadily rerouting the “washed” discussion this month, averaging more than 16 points on 52.1 percent from the floor and 44.3 from 3-point range. Thompson had 13 huge fourth-quarter points in that win at Golden State.
Minnesota has trudged through a disappointing start, but don’t sleep on this hard-working defense. The Wolves are making it happen despite uninspiring stuff off the glass (25th in the NBA in rebounds). This group generates turnovers and gets after jump shooters. Opponents are just 34.6 percent on the 3-ball this year.
The betting angle: Dallas is 9-5 against the spread at home.
Best Christmas moments
- 2017: Minnesota earned its first-ever Christmas win with a 121-104 throttling of the Los Angeles Lakers. Jimmy Butler played 41 minutes and tallied 23 points, five boards and eight dimes.
- 2011: Because the lockout shifted the schedule back a few months, Dallas was able to unfurl its championship banner on the Christmas broadcast.
Timberwolves vs. Mavericks odds
Starting five of players to wear each jersey (minimum 50 games played):
- G — J.J. Barea
- G — Scott Brooks
- F — Gary Trent
- F — Christian Laettner
- C — Sean Rooks
(Photo by Tim Heitman / Getty Images)
