Dallas puts the Timberwolves on the ropes with a 109-108 victory. Luka Dončić took just one shot in the fourth quarter to bring Minnesota closer to the end of its season. The Slovenian guard hit a valuable triple against Rudy Gobert. East put the West final 2-0 in favor of the Mavericks before traveling to Texas. The team led by Jason Kidd has shown once again that it feels comfortable with the role of the comeback, a task that seems easy in the hands of stars like the European, who scored a triple double (32 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists) and from Kyrie Irving, who added 13 points in the fourth quarter. The locals showed their frustration after letting a 15-point lead slip away. Anthony Edwards did not find a rhythm to lead his team, who will have an uphill road.
The fever that Minnesota is experiencing for the playoffs has a name: Naz Reid. The Timberwolves center has become a pillar of the team, which has reached these stages for the first time in 20 years. Reid is not a starter, but he has shown with every second on the court why he is the sixth man in the NBA. Tonight he was the top scorer for his team with 23 points, two more than Ant Man, as Edwards is known. Reid had made seven of eight three-pointers until he missed the long-distance shot that would have given Minnesota an agonizing victory with three seconds left. The furor that Reid has caused in this postseason is worth studying. About 200 people they have tattooed his name in Minneapolis.
The second of the series has told a similar story to the start of the conference final. The leaderboard changed 14 times on Wednesday. There was a tie seven times before Dončić stepped on the accelerator in a splendid 15-point final quarter. Minnesota’s dominance was extensive this Friday, but only during the start. The lead changed only once in the first two quarters. The locals went up by up to 15 points thanks to a very good attack inside the paint.
Dallas worked to eliminate the lead after the break. If Reid led the push of a bench that produced 36 points for the locals, the Mavs were not far behind. The answer came from a very motivated Dereck Lively II, who shot 6 of 6 to score 14 points and grab 9 boards in 26 minutes of play. His defensive pressure caused Edwards to have two turnovers in the fourth quarter. One of them on a decisive play in which the Minnesota star threw the ball out of bounds when looking for Reid.
The Timberwolves’ dominance ended up evaporating in the fourth quarter. The teams were tied three times in the period. The comeback was possible thanks to the partnership between Dončić and Kyrie Irving. The European, who has been All-NBA five times since his debut in 2018, scored eleven points in the third period and became a playmaker with five assists at the close. Irving, on the other hand, exploded in the final minutes with four triples, closing his night with 20 points.
Irving was also lucky. In a challenge requested by Dallas, the referees reversed their decision and gave possession to the Mavericks despite the fact that the cameras in the stadium showed a clear slap from the point guard on Jaden McDaniels, who dropped the ball due to the blow. He challengebooed loudly by the Minnesota public, was vital for the team led by Kidd, which extends its winning streak as a visitor to six games in this postseason.
Minnesota’s future hangs in the balance. This could depend on Karl-Anthony Townes, a player who has been key, but who appears to be suffering from the left meniscus injury that kept him out of action for 18 games until his return in mid-April. The Dominican played 25 minutes this Friday, but only made 4 of 16 shots, adding 15 points, and grabbing 7 rebounds. Reid’s performance, however, has caused few to miss the center tonight. Minnesota fans, on the other hand, are wondering if Edwards will finally be decisive in Game 3, which will be played on Sunday.
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