Timberwolves beat Mavericks 116-95, stay in Western Conference playoff race

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Fighting off a two-game losing streak while still trying to secure a playoff spot and avoid the play-in tournament, the Minnesota Timberwolves played Western Conference foes in the Dallas Mavericks Friday night.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Fighting off a two-game losing streak while still trying to secure a playoff spot and avoid the play-in tournament, the Minnesota Timberwolves played Western Conference foes in the Dallas Mavericks for the second time this week Friday night – and dominated in a 116-95 win in front of a packed house at Target Center.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 20 points. Jordan McLaughlin added 16 points off the bench, and D'Angelo Russell had 15 points as seven players scored in double figures. Already without Jaden McDaniels, the Timberwolves also lost Naz Reid and Malik Beasley to injuries in the game.

Jordan McLaughlin on Timberwolves win over Dallas Mavericks

Point Guard Jordan McLaughlin had 16 points in the Minnesota Timberwolves' 116-95 victory over the Dallas Mavericks Friday night. He chatted with FOX 9's Pierre Noujaim after the game, though not without some praise from his teammates.

With the same starting lineup as on Monday, The Timberwolves started the game with stingy defense that allowed them to build an early 26-22 lead after the first quarter. Despite injuries to both Reid and Beasley that would see them exit to the locker room immediately, Minnesota’s offense built a 61-50 lead at halftime.

Perhaps his best quality as a coach has been Chris Finch’s ability to adapt to challenging circumstances while getting the most out of what he has. It’s no surprise then that the Timberwolves would come out of the second half of its second game with all cylinders firing, growing their lead to 89-67 by the end of the third quarter, and eventually the win.

The Timberwolves (43-32) are in the No. 7 in the Western Conference, and fans are scoreboard watching for the first time in recent memory – hoping both the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks will keep losing, and they can secure their spot in the playoffs, and thus a little extra rest. The Timberwolves are just a half game behind the Nuggets for the No. 6 spot in the West, the last spot to avoid a play-in series.

With only seven games remaining in the regular season, Minnesota starts a tough three-game stretch at the Boston Celtics on Sunday. The Timberwolves then travel to the Toronto Raptors next Wednesday, and have a potentially big game against the Nuggets in Denver next Friday night.