Without their All-Star guard, the Dallas Mavericks nearly erased a 28-point lead on Christmas Day. Anthony Edwards wasn’t going to let that happen.
Behind Kyrie Irving’s 15 fourth-quarter points, the Mavericks cut the Minnesota Timberwolves’ lead down to two points, before Edwards drove to the hoop to give them a two-possession lead with 18 seconds to go.
Klay Thompson, who had hit his fourth three-pointer seconds earlier, couldn’t hit again and the Wolves escaped with a 105-99 win.
It was a furious comeback that the Mavericks pulled off without Luka Doncic, who left before halftime with a calf strain. That meant they ran their offense through Irving, who responded with a 39-point performance.
Edwards (26 points) staved off the comeback with two big shots in the final 1:17. After the game, he was effusive in his praise for Irving, who he called his “favorite point guard of all time.”
Edwards might love Irving, but he loves winning on Christmas Day more. In a rematch of the Western Conference Finals, Edwards walked away with some holiday revenge.
