Reusse: In a blossoming rivalry with Dallas Mavericks, Timberwolves still don’t match up

The Timberwolves are in their 36th season and don’t have what could be classified as a rival. A big reason for that is a history that involves many more poor seasons than good ones. The basic number is that they have reached the playoffs 12 times in their 35 previous seasons.

The other issue is that they are located in the Western Conference, and the geographic possibilities — Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, even the Indiana Pacers — are in the East.

There soon could come a time when the NBA adds expansion franchises in Seattle and Las Vegas and the Wolves luck out and move to the East as that conference’s 16th team.

Until then, all suggestions for a Wolves rivalry must be based on recent events and not long-term grudges.

That’s what we had Tuesday night, in only the fourth game of the regular season and the second at Target Center. The Dallas Mavericks, the team that ended the Wolves’ second-ever playoff run last spring in five games in the Western Conference finals, were the visitors.

The Mavericks were playing the dreaded back-to-back after winning over Utah on Monday night.

That is supposed to be an advantage, although it certainly didn’t look that way from the outset. These Mavericks are most dangerous when Kyrie Irving is on the court (rather than out with an injury) and fully interested. He was that, as was his co-star Luka Doncic.

On elimination night in Minneapolis last spring, Doncic and Irving scored 36 points apiece and the Mavericks tossed the Wolves from the playoffs by an emphatic 124-103.

The brilliant duo didn’t quite equal that Tuesday: Irving had 35, Doncic had 24, and the Mavericks headed back to Dallas with a 120-114 win. You never had the impression it was that close.

Irving was sensational all night, and Doncic hit a 30-footer for his first three that was the game-clincher in the final minute.

To add a touch of combativeness to the Dallas return to Minneapolis, Dereck Lively II, elastic backup center, had gotten some publicity for taking a shot at Rudy Gobert during the offseason on a podcast.

This was a reference to Gobert’s effort against Dallas’ center tandem of powerful Daniel Gafford and Lively during the West finals. He was talking with Theo Pinson, a former NBA player of little note, as a host of the podcast. The topic was overpaid players.

Pinson said: " … played the Timberwolves, there’s zero reason Rudy Gobert should’ve been on that court.’’

Lively: “Zero.”

Pinson: “But you’re paying him $40 million, $50 million, you better get out there and figure it out.’’

Lively: “And he didn’t.’’

There were some profanities included in Pinson’s rhetoric.

Gobert, 7-foot-1, winner of his fourth NBA Defensive Player of Year award, recipient of a three-year extension in which he accepted less than maximum dollars, came off as very amped to get things down at the start.

The Mavs had this strategy to complicate things for Gobert: Run the floor with the center. Gafford, the starter, did that for three buckets in the first quarter.

Gafford, 6-foot-10 and muscular, was drafted in the second round out of Arkansas in 2019. The Mavericks were desperate for size in the middle and traded a first-rounder and spare player to Washington to get him on the Feb. 8 trading deadline.

Teamed with Lively, the Mavs went from hurting to deep with different styles of play at center.

Asked about the early easy baskets, Gafford said: “Same as always … as soon as we have hands on a rebound, take off. And when you have the passer we have, you’re going to get the ball.’’

This was a reference to Doncic, known for his incredible shooting from any angle, but a tremendous long passer. He did that for the first basket, then others assisted on baskets.

Gafford went 6-for-6 from the field, and his longest shot was a tip-in. Last season, he had a stretch in which he made 33 straight shots … basically all dunks or layups.

This game seemed remindful of Game 5 in the playoffs? “Wasn’t it,” Gafford said. “It seemed like déjà vu.”

The teams meet again on Christmas Day in Dallas. Until then, the Timberwolves have to live with the fact that Anthony Edwards (37 points) might be among the top half-dozen players in the league, but he’s going to need more help against the twosome of Kyrie and Luka.

He couldn’t do it last spring over five games with Karl-Anthony Towns as a teammate, and he couldn’t do it Tuesday night with Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo joining the cast.

It was an early rematch, and it was familiar.