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

A rematch of last season's Western Conference finals won by Dallas fell flat when Doncic pulled up lame while running a play late in the second quarter Wednesday. Then it got wild when the Mavs erased almost all of a 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 timeout. It was Doncic's second game back after missing two with a left heel contusion.

Kyrie Irving scored 39 points but was short on 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 in Dallas against his hometown team 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 shook the malaise of the Doncic injury in the fourth quarter, cutting a 28-point deficit from late in third quarter to two.

Key moment

Doncic pulling up lame changed everything. The five-time All-Star is the reason the Mavs were playing their fifth consecutive Christmas game.

Key stat

Timberwolves: Minnesota allowed an average of 121 points on 50% shooting during the three-game skid coming into its third-ever Christmas game. Defense led to the big lead in Dallas.

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

Up next

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

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Play By Play

Recent plays and game events

TIME	PLAY
12:00	Rudy Gobert vs. Dereck Lively II (P.J. Washington gains possession)	0	0
11:44	Klay Thompson misses 22-foot jumper	0	0
11:42	Mike Conley defensive rebound	0	0
11:30	Rudy Gobert makes 1-foot dunk (Anthony Edwards assists)	0	2
11:16	Dereck Lively II makes 4-foot alley oop dunk shot (Luka Doncic assists)	2	2
10:54	Julius Randle misses 12-foot two point shot	2	2
10:51	Dereck Lively II defensive rebound	2	2
10:44	Luka Doncic makes 25-foot three point jumper (Dereck Lively II assists)	5	2
10:20	Mike Conley misses 23-foot three point jumper	5	2
10:18	P.J. Washington defensive rebound	5	2
10:14	Kyrie Irving out of bounds bad pass turnover	5	2
10:02	P.J. Washington personal foul	5	2
9:55	Jaden McDaniels misses 22-foot three point jumper	5	2
9:52	Klay Thompson defensive rebound	5	2
9:45	Luka Doncic misses running pullup jump shot	5	2
9:43	Julius Randle defensive rebound	5	2
9:34	Anthony Edwards makes 26-foot three pointer (Julius Randle assists)	5	5
9:21	Kyrie Irving misses driving floating jump shot	5	5
9:20	Dereck Lively II offensive rebound	5	5
9:15	Klay Thompson misses 24-foot three point jumper	5	5
9:13	Rudy Gobert defensive rebound	5	5
9:03	Jaden McDaniels misses two point shot	5	5
9:00	Jaden McDaniels offensive rebound	5	5
9:00	Jaden McDaniels misses tip shot	5	5
9:00	Jaden McDaniels offensive rebound	5	5
8:59	Klay Thompson blocks Jaden McDaniels's two point shot	5	5
8:59	Luka Doncic defensive rebound	5	5
8:55	Luka Doncic makes 25-foot running pullup jump shot	8	5
8:39	Julius Randle makes 22-foot three point jumper (Anthony Edwards assists)	8	8
8:22	Luka Doncic makes 15-foot step back jumpshot	10	8
8:01	Jaden McDaniels makes 11-foot driving floating jump shot (Anthony Edwards assists)	10	10
7:49	Kyrie Irving misses 25-foot three point pullup jump shot	10	10
7:47	Julius Randle defensive rebound	10	10
7:41	Daniel Gafford enters the game for Klay Thompson	10	10
7:41	Quentin Grimes enters the game for Dereck Lively II	10	10
7:34	Anthony Edwards makes 25-foot three point step back jumpshot (Jaden McDaniels assists)	10	13
7:19	Luka Doncic bad pass (Rudy Gobert steals)	10	13
7:13	Daniel Gafford shooting foul	10	13
7:13	Julius Randle makes free throw 1 of 2	10	14
7:13	Julius Randle makes free throw 2 of 2	10	15
7:03	Rudy Gobert personal foul	10	15
6:52	Kyrie Irving makes 8-foot two point shot	12	15
6:35	Anthony Edwards makes driving layup	12	17
6:24	Kyrie Irving makes 24-foot three point jumper	15	17
6:08	Anthony Edwards misses 12-foot step back jumpshot	15	17
6:07	Mavericks defensive team rebound	15	17
6:07	Mavericks Full timeout	15	17
6:07	Naz Reid enters the game for Mike Conley	15	17
6:07	Nickeil Alexander-Walker enters the game for Julius Randle	15	17
5:46	Luka Doncic misses 25-foot three point step back jumpshot	15	17
5:43	Rudy Gobert defensive rebound	15	17
5:32	Anthony Edwards misses 14-foot pullup jump shot	15	17
5:28	Quentin Grimes defensive rebound	15	17
5:24	Kyrie Irving misses running pullup jump shot	15	17
5:22	Rudy Gobert defensive rebound	15	17
5:08	Rudy Gobert makes dunk (Anthony Edwards assists)	15	19
4:46	Luka Doncic makes 25-foot three point jumper (Quentin Grimes assists)	18	19
4:26	Nickeil Alexander-Walker misses 22-foot three point jumper	18	19
4:25	Luka Doncic defensive rebound	18	19
4:16	Luka Doncic bad pass (Anthony Edwards steals)	18	19
4:09	Kyrie Irving blocks Naz Reid 's 2-foot two point shot	18	19
4:09	Timberwolves offensive team rebound	18	19
4:09	Maxi Kleber enters the game for Kyrie Irving	18	19
4:09	Spencer Dinwiddie enters the game for P.J. Washington	18	19
4:09	Donte DiVincenzo enters the game for Jaden McDaniels	18	19
3:59	Donte DiVincenzo bad pass (Luka Doncic steals)	18	19
3:51	Quentin Grimes misses 22-foot three point jumper	18	19
3:51	Donte DiVincenzo defensive rebound	18	19
3:36	Naz Reid misses 6-foot two point shot	18	19
3:35	Luka Doncic defensive rebound	18	19
3:25	Anthony Edwards blocks Daniel Gafford 's 5-foot layup	18	19
3:22	Anthony Edwards defensive rebound	18	19
3:10	Rudy Gobert out of bounds bad pass turnover	18	19
3:10	Dereck Lively II enters the game for Daniel Gafford	18	19
3:10	Julius Randle enters the game for Rudy Gobert	18	19
2:59	Luka Doncic bad pass (Naz Reid steals)	18	19
2:37	Anthony Edwards misses 23-foot pullup jump shot	18	19
2:34	Dereck Lively II defensive rebound	18	19
2:27	Spencer Dinwiddie misses 2-foot two point shot	18	19
2:25	Nickeil Alexander-Walker defensive rebound	18	19
2:20	Nickeil Alexander-Walker misses running pullup jump shot	18	19
2:18	Quentin Grimes defensive rebound	18	19
2:04	Quentin Grimes makes 25-foot three point jumper (Spencer Dinwiddie assists)	21	19
2:03	Timberwolves Full timeout	21	19
2:03	Kyrie Irving enters the game for Luka Doncic	21	19
2:03	Josh Minott enters the game for Anthony Edwards	21	19
1:49	Josh Minott misses 23-foot three point jumper	21	19
1:46	Quentin Grimes defensive rebound	21	19
1:32	Nickeil Alexander-Walker shooting foul	21	19
1:32	(01:32) [Mavericks] COACH'S CHALLENGE (CALL OVERTURNED) [Mavericks] retain their timeout	21	19
1:32	Mavericks Coach's Challenge	21	19
1:32	Kyrie Irving makes driving layup	23	19
1:32	Kyrie Irving makes free throw 1 of 1	24	19
1:22	Julius Randle makes 26-foot three point jumper (Nickeil Alexander-Walker assists)	24	22
1:08	Kyrie Irving misses 24-foot three point jumper	24	22
1:04	Donte DiVincenzo defensive rebound	24	22
57.0	Naz Reid makes driving layup (Julius Randle assists)	24	24
37.1	Spencer Dinwiddie misses driving floating jump shot	24	24
33.2	Dereck Lively II offensive rebound	24	24
33.2	Dereck Lively II misses tip shot	24	24
32.1	Nickeil Alexander-Walker defensive rebound	24	24
27.0	Josh Minott makes 2-foot two point shot (Julius Randle assists)	24	26
12.1	Josh Minott blocks Dereck Lively II 's 6-foot layup	24	26
10.0	Josh Minott defensive rebound	24	26
0.1	Julius Randle misses 28-foot three point step back jumpshot	24	26
0.1	Timberwolves offensive team rebound	24	26
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	24	26

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Game Information

Time, Location & Referees

Venue

American Airlines Center

Dallas, TX

Date & Time

7:30 PM, December 25, 2024

Coverage

ABC, ESPN+, ERADM, ESPN

Attendance

20,341

Referees

Kevin Cutler, David Guthrie, Natalie Sago

2025-26 Northwest Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Oklahoma City	46	15	.754	W1
Denver	37	23	.617	L1
Minnesota	37	23	.617	W2
Portland	29	32	.475	L1
Utah	18	42	.300	L5

2025-26 Southwest Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
San Antonio	43	16	.729	W11
Houston	37	22	.627	L1
Memphis	22	36	.379	W1
Dallas	21	38	.356	L2
New Orleans	19	42	.311	W4

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Edwards scores 26, Wolves hold on to beat Mavs 105-99 after Doncic injury

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