Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks
The highly anticipated rematch between the Wolves and the Mavs should be a game full of intrigue, excitement, and plenty of offensive firepower. These two squads met in the 2024 Western Conference Finals where the Mavs prevailed victorious and won that series 4-1 as they advanced to the NBA Finals.
It will be a rivalry renewed on Christmas Day as Wolves superstar Anthony Edwards will try to exact a small measure of revenge as he attempts to move the Wolves up in the Western Conference standings. Edwards currently ranks in the top 10 in the NBA in scoring and is 2nd in 3-pointers made per game with 4.3 per contest. His game has matured to the point where he's not forcing shots, he's making more three-pointers and has also evolved into a better playmaker.
Edwards will have to bring his A-game because the Wolves have to figure out how to slow down the 3rd highest-scoring duo in the league in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The Mavs are 5th in the league in scoring averaging 118.4 points per game and the Wolves will also have to worry about defending Mavs sharpshooter Klay Thompson. He may have a lesser role with the Mavs than he did during his tenure with the Warriors, but Thompson is still very capable of catching fire and can score in bunches very quickly.
Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, and Jaden McDaniels could have their hands full trying to guard the perimeter and attempting to keep Doncic and Irving out of the lane. The last thing the Wolves want is to find themselves in a shootout with the Mavs as they are one of the better shooting teams in the NBA and are difficult to defend when they get things going.