Timberwolves offense goes missing in 111-91 rout by Mavericks

The Timberwolves came out Sunday afternoon and missed 11 of their first 12 shots. Dallas went on a seven-point run to start both the second and third quarters.

The lack of energy was apparent from the start in a 111-91 loss to a Mavericks team playing without All-Star Luka Doncic.

That was no problem on this afternoon for Dallas, with Kristaps Porzingis more than making up for Doncic's absence with 38 points and 13 rebounds in the wire-to-wire Mavericks victory. Seth Curry added 27.

"It was flat," Wolves veteran forward James Johnson said. "It wasn't us. And usually during these matinees, it's usually the first team that punches first usually comes out victorious. They prevailed tonight. They played harder, and we can't have that. It's as simple as that."

It was also as simple as the Wolves making only 36% of their shots, a product of that lack of energy. Since the trade deadline, the revamped Wolves have been able to score at a good clip every game. The defense is a work in progress, and is the main reason the team is 2-7 since the changes. But there were some spurts where the defense could have allowed the Wolves back in the game, such as when they held Dallas to 18 points in the third quarter. Except the Wolves only scored 21, enabling the Mavs to maintain a double-digit lead much of the second half, a lead that grew as big as 26.

Afternoon tip times align right with nap time for a lot of players, and this isn't the first time the Wolves have looked sluggish during a matinee. The Wolves were also playing after returning from a four-game road trip, but Johnson said that can't be an excuse, especially for the youngest team in the NBA.

"We should be energized to play every game," Johnson said. "We should be ready to play every game. You're playing against the Dallas Mavericks. If you can't get up for one of those games, then you ain't really a basketball player, you know? Matinee or not. Myself included."

D'Angelo Russell had 16 points on 6-for-18 shooting, nine rebounds and seven assists. Malik Beasley scored 14 points on 5-for-15 shooting.

A somber Beasley said afterward he was going to dissect the film to see what's wrong — and to see how he could lead the team better.

"It's a lot going on right now," Beasley said. "I'm trying to just as a leader of this team, I have to make sure we come out compete, be ready for this game. Right now, I just got a lot on my mind. It's hard to pinpoint everything, but tomorrow after I watch film, I figure out what I need to do better as a leader, I can communicate better to you, but right now it's a lot of missing pieces."

Even after losses the Wolves have been upbeat about the process of getting to know each other as a team. This was the first time there was a noticeable note of disappointment in their postgame comments. Coach Ryan Saunders said at times the Wolves were trying to overcompensate for the slow start, especially on offense.

"We tried to do it on our own a little more than we had been doing in the past," Saunders said. "We dug ourselves a hole defensively and offensively early, and I didn't see it as guys doing it maliciously as much as guys wanting to try to fight their way out of a hole. We just couldn't get anything going within the flow of the game."

That was Johnson's assessment as well. These Wolves haven't been together long enough to develop a team identity — but this wasn't what they have been either.

"We were just flat," Johnson said. "Things tumbled and we were taking bad shots. It led to no defense and it wasn't us. Normally after a game like Orlando, we'd come out different. I know I haven't been here long enough, but I know the guys in this locker room. We normally come out fired up."