Wolves record: 1-9
From Jon Krawczynski/AP Sports:
The Timberwolves have been without starting forward Kevin Love all season because of a broken hand and were further hindered when Al Jefferson had to leave the team to fly to Florida to be with his grandmother, who died at the age of 83 on Thursday afternoon.
Jefferson missed Friday’s game and also will not play on Saturday in Memphis.
Hollins was assessed a technical foul for taking a swing at Dallas forward Drew Gooden after he was fouled on a drive to the basket. Gooden wasn’t responsible for the foul, but he and Hollins collided after the play.
Hollins still appeared to be agitated from a confrontation he had three minutes earlier with Nowitzki. He and Nowitzki drew technicals for jawing at each other. Flynn stepped in to confront Nowitzki and had to be restrained by teammates. Hollins left the game with five points and six rebounds in 22 minutes.
The Hollins-Nowitzki flare-up got coach Kurt Rambis’ attention and his first technical foul of the season. Rambis protested that Hollins shouldn’t have been assessed a technical, but referee Kane Fitzgerald disagreed.
Nowitzki quieted the hostile Minnesota crowd with eight points in less than three minutes, part of a 16-5 Dallas run which gave them a comfortable 73-54 margin.
Nathan Jawai started in Jefferson’s place, and impressed Rambis with his ability to bedevil Erick Dampier inside on the defensive end, and free himself up for four hoops (and 10 points) inside. Flynn scored 11 points, and Ryan Gomes and Corey Brewer added 10. But without their scoring leader, the Wolves’ offense devolved into one bad shot after another, with a season-low 32.6 percent shooting percentage as proof.
“It didn’t turn out our way, but we’re going to be there to support each other,” Jawai said. “This little scuffle, we stood up for each other.”
“It didn’t turn out our way, but we’re going to be there to support each other,” Jawai said. “This little scuffle, we stood up for each other.”