The Dallas Mavericks had a world to gain Friday night in Minnesota.

All Dallas needed to do was win. And thanks to a Utah loss to Charlotte earlier Friday night, a Dallas win would have secured the four seed heading into a matchup with Utah on Sunday, the team that sits tied with Dallas for fourth in the West.

Dallas (45-29) lost to Minnesota 116-95 — throwing away a chance to control its fate heading into what is possibly the biggest game of the regular season.

"We couldn't shoot straight," Jason Kidd said. "It's all about winning. We got eight games left. I guess we are playing for fourth."

Kidd would eventually add: "We are not playing for homecourt, we are just playing games."

More on that later.

Dallas' offensive struggles

No one on the Mavericks played particularly well in Minnesota. As a team, Dallas shot 38 percent from the field and 23 percent from three. Luka Doncic scored 24 points, but he was a staggering minus-22 while on the floor.

He also picked up his 15th technical of the season. One more technical will warrant a suspension from the league.

Too often, the frustration of a game not going his way has gotten the best of Doncic. In previous seasons, his excuse was his age. He'll learn, was often the mantra.

Yet, near the end of his fourth season, he hasn't. And for as great as Doncic is as a player, his emotions get the best of him. He knows it. He'll even admit that he has to be better. And yet we haven't seen it.

Yes, technicals reset at the end of the regular season. However, with as tight as the race for homecourt is with Utah, not having Doncic for one game can be the difference between having four home games or three when the playoffs start.

That's why beating Minnesota was so important. A win would have given Dallas breathing room. Utah still holds the tiebreaker, and strange enough, Dallas is staring at a "loser leaves town" matchup with the Jazz Sunday night for fourth place in the West. Kidd may say Dallas isn't playing for homecourt, but I can assure you every team wants the luxury of having a Game 7 at home.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

"Yes, of course, everyone wants homecourt advantage," Doncic said. "It's easier to win games."

Sunday night grudge match 

Maybe this was a trap game.

Maybe Dallas was more focused on what might happen Sunday night. And maybe in the process, Dallas thought it could walk into Minnesota with the same uninventive gameplan and beat the Timberwolves for the second time in one week.

It was inventive thinking.

And in the process, the Mavericks threw away the opportunity to make Sunday the day in which the battle for the four seed settles. Now, even if Dallas wins, ties the season series at two games each with Utah, and sits in the four seed, the margin of error shrunk, when it didn't have to.

All Dallas can do — if things don't go right on Sunday — is blame itself for what happened Friday night.

"You never feel good about a loss," Dwight Powell, who scored 13 points, said. "Every game is significant. We don't have many left. Seeding is still up for grabs. The focus is on winning games."

Related Dallas Mavericks reading

"Luka was held in check, but the others stepped up against Minnesota." 

"A few reasons why Spencer Dinwiddie is the Mavs' X-factor." 

Feature image via  David Berding-USA TODAY Sports.