MINNEAPOLIS – An out-of-bounds challenge that the Timberwolves lost in the Western Conference Finals last season haunted Minnesota on Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks.

The NBA changed its review process this offseason after Jaden McDaniels lost a ball out of bounds because he was fouled, which could not be reviewed during last season’s playoffs. On Tuesday evening, Rudy Gobert was penalized with a foul in the fourth quarter after Daniel Gafford lost a ball out of bounds. The Mavericks gained possession, the Timberwolves challenged the call and Gobert was fouled. A combination of irony and bad luck.

It happened on a night when Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving took over in the second half of a 120-114 win over the Timberwolves.

“To be honest, I didn’t see the mistake, but obviously they were right,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said after the loss.

It was the first time the two teams had met since Dallas eliminated Minnesota to advance to the NBA Finals, but both rosters have changed since then. The Timberwolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle. The Mavericks have added Klay Thompson.

What it means

The Timberwolves fall to 2-2 on the season, suffer their first loss at Target Center this year and finish their first three-game homestand against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

The big play

The Timberwolves started the third quarter on a 10-0 run and led 69-61 after a 3-pointer by Mike Conley. The Mavericks answered with a 32-13 run, led in large part by Irving, who finished the night with 35 points. Doncic added 24 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Doncic hit a step-back 3-pointer from the same spot he did in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals to give Dallas a 117-109 lead with 1:04 to play for the dagger.

The Timberwolves cut an 11-point deficit to one possession several times in the fourth quarter, but the Mavericks had all the answers.

“Dagger shots at the end when you’re trying to come back are super painful, but they’re a result of offensive rebounds, a result of the transition not being coordinated quickly enough when Kyrie gets loose on us,” Finch said. “We have to solve those two things, that was the key for us last year.”

Anthony Edwards’ fast start

Edwards looked like he was headed for a career night. He scored 24 points in the first quarter, a career-high, on 6-of-8 shooting from three-point range. He didn’t score a single point in the second quarter and had 13 in the second half for 37. Randle added 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

The key numbers

Doncic and Irivng combined for 59 points. The Timberwolves scored 20 goals and shot 17 of 26 from the free throw line.

What’s next

The Timberwolves will host the Denver Nuggets on Friday evening, the team they eliminated in seven games last season to reach the Western Conference Finals.