The Minnesota Timberwolves are picking up steam after extending their winning streak to five straight, blowing out the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.

They haven't missed a beat, even with superstar Anthony Edwards missing the next several weeks. The defense is suffocating, and the offense is clicking on all cylinders with LaMelo Ball at the helm.

In his postgame interview, Ball said the team wants to continue building winning habits and avoid the bad variety. It will slowly become championship routine if Minnesota sustains this pace long enough.

The Timberwolves have won in different ways during their five-game streak. Ball and Ayo Dosunmu had fourth-quarter explosions; the bench stepped up for a starter on a down night and turned their hard-nosed defense into easy offense.

Minnesota's 39-point win over Dallas marks its best win of the season. Even with a large lead over a talented team with Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving, its performance never waned.

Ball said it's human nature to relax when up 30. A deficit that large likely demoralizes the other team and requires a lopsided comeback in a short period.

The pace of today's game and the high volume of threes shot every game kill the certainty of victory.

The Timberwolves matched the Mavericks' blows in the fourth quarter, responding to almost every made basket. They maintained the 34-point lead heading into the fourth and extended it to 39 when the buzzer sounded.

Hyland had an efficient 24 points on 7-for-10 shooting and 5-for-6 from three. He gives Minnesota a potent offensive punch with his shot creation and dribble penetration.

Ball said that when the 6-foot-2 guard gets hot, it's hard to defend him. His shifty handle lulls defenders to sleep, and he either shoots an off-the-dribble three or drives to the rim for a crafty finish.

He added eight assists to his stat line, credited to his dribble penetration. When Dallas' defense collapsed on his drive, Hyland found his teammates wide open for knockdown threes.

Hyland's ability to score in bunches is key to Minnesota maintaining momentum at the end of the first quarter and the start of the second. He can alternate between primary and secondary shot creator alongside Ayo Dosunmu, punishing other bench units that lack strong point-of-attack defenders.

Everything is clicking for the Timberwolves during their five-game winning streak. Coach Chris Finch has his team committed to their roles, and Ball said it's getting easier every game.