Marvin Bagley’s double-double not enough as Mavericks fall again

Dallas Mavericks forward Marvin Bagley had 15 points and 13 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to stop the team’s season-long 10-game losing streak.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards scored 35 points with six rebounds to lead Minnesota past Dallas 122-111 on Friday night.

With the loss, Dallas fell to 19-36 and dropped its third game to Minnesota this season. The teams will meet for the final time at the end of March.

The Mavericks used a 21-6 run in the third quarter to pull within two but never took the lead in the period. With less than seven minutes remaining in the fourth, Dallas guard Tyus Jones tied the game at 103 on a finger roll.

But Edwards sparked a late surge as Minnesota pulled away in the closing minutes. Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert finished with 22 points and 17 rebounds, and forward Naz Reid added 21 points and seven rebounds.

For Dallas, Khris Middleton had 18 points and seven rebounds, while Naji Marshall scored 15.

Here are two thoughts from the game:

Cooper Flagg misses another game 

Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg missed a second consecutive game, sitting out a marquee matchup against Anthony Edwards due to a left midfoot sprain.

Flagg was held out of the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star weekend because of the injury. It would have been his first experience at the NBA’s showcase event.

On the season, Flagg has played in 49 games for the Mavericks, averaging 20.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals. He remains the favorite to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd told reporters in Minneapolis that Flagg is day to day. Flagg was no longer wearing a walking boot and was running at practice Thursday. Flagg was first spotted in the boot while attending a game at Duke University last weekend.

Kidd told local reporters that Flagg’s status is day to day regarding a possible return during the team’s three-game road trip.

Missing games down the stretch, however, could put his Rookie of the Year chances in jeopardy. His college roommate and Charlotte Hornets swingman Kon Knueppel is closing the gap. Knueppel is averaging 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 48.4% from the field and 43.1% from 3-point range.

Knueppel’s true shooting percentage of 64.6% is the highest in NBA history among rookies averaging at least 18 points per game.

Kyrie Irving out for the season

Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving will not share the court this season.

The Dallas Mavericks announced on Wednesday that Irving will be out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.

Irving, who suffered a torn ACL in his left knee nearly one year ago, said the decision to wait until next season to return “wasn’t easy, but it was the right one.”

“I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process,” he said in a statement the Mavericks issued. “I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows.

“I wanted to send a huge shout-out to ALL of my brothers and sisters out there who’ve torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day. THANK YOU for the inspiration. No fear!”

Kidd said the Mavericks and Irving wanted to priortized his longterm health.

“We want to make sure he’s ready to go for next season,” Kidd said. “For him, at practice, some of the things that he’s working on, he looks good. I think as we get into March and April, we want him to keep going in the right direction.”

Irving signed a three-year, $119 million contract with the Mavericks in July. He is owed $39.5 million next season and holds a $42.4 million player option for 2027-28.

Irving turns 34 in March. Next season will be his 15th in the NBA.