After Sunday night’s 116-107 win at the American Airlines Center, the Dallas Mavericks are up 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves and one win away from a trip to the NBA Finals. If this happens, Dallas will go to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011.
Dallas defeated the Miami Heat in six games to earn their first-ever NBA championship in 2011 after losing to the Miami Heat in six games in the 2006 NBA Finals.
The Timberwolves’ struggles with the Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals are blatant as they’ve been struggling to close out games. The Timberwolves’ playoff hopes are hanging by a thread as they’re down 0-3, a do-or-die situation no NBA team in NBA playoffs history has ever overcome.
But the Timberwolves had a promising regular season, and there’s a chance they could live to fight another day, as long as they find a way to overcome their fourth-quarter execution issues and the powerful performances by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Dallas Mavericks Can’t Relax Until the Job Is Done
The Dallas Mavericks welcomed a star-studded crowd to Sunday’s Game 3. The guests included but weren’t limited to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a Tyler, Texas native; Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce; Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki; Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal; former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez, who also played for the Texas Rangers from 2001 to 2003, and NBA superfan Jimmy Goldstein.
But the star-studded crowds won’t mean much unless the Mavericks get the job done. The Mavericks took control of the best-of-seven series with a commanding 3-0 lead, thanks to 66 points combined from Doncic and Irving, who both scored 33 points apiece.
The Mavericks’ Game 3 win could come at a cost, as Dereck Lively II’s tests on his neck were dubbed as “okay,” but his status was labeled as “unclear” as of Monday, May 27. Dereck Lively II is a top contributor off the bench,
Dallas Mavericks School Minnesota Timberwolves
The basketball world has never seen Western and Eastern Conference Finals ending in sweeps.
That being said, it’s important to remember the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics could sweep the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers, respectively. The Mavericks can capitalize on star players Doncic and Irving while receiving contributions from players such as Daniel Gafford, Derrick Jones Sr., and P.J. Washington, as the Timberwolves are arguably a younger team with a lot of inexperience.
The Celtics are focused on closing, and the Pacers are well aware of that. However, they did not help their chances when they blew game-winning chances in the final minutes of Games 1 and 3.
If the Mavericks sweep the Timberwolves, the latter would learn a tough lesson or two. Only time will tell, but Minnesota could learn the extreme challenges surrounding playoff basketball, execution under pressure, etc. The same could be said for the Pacers.
Dallas Mavericks Look to Sweep Minnesota Timberwolves
The Dallas Mavericks were founded in 1980, but the last time the Mavericks had a 3-0 lead in an NBA playoff series was in 2011 when they swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semi-finals en route to their first-ever NBA championship win.
The 2011 West semi-finals was the only time where Kobe Bryant met Dirk Nowitzki in an NBA playoffs. Although many expected a very competitive series, Los Angeles was ousted in a four-game sweep, as Dallas provided an invisible exclamation point after Jason Terry set an NBA playoff record with nine three-pointers and just one miss.
After Sunday’s Game 3, Kyrie Irving was informed no team in NBA history has ever blown a 3-0 series and apparently wanted nothing to do with the statistic. Irving told the media, “It means absolutely nothing right now … Going into Game 4, it’s still 0-0. And that’s the type of mentality we have in that locker room.” Irving was basically right.
Anthony Edwards went 11-for-24 and recorded 26 points in the Timberwolves’ 116-107 loss to the Mavericks in Game 3. Meanwhile, Edwards’ teammate, Karl-Anthony Towns, continued to struggle as he recorded 14 points on 5-for-18 shooting. The Timberwolves are disappointed, to say the least, but they could fight back to extend the Western Conference Finals.
About the Author
Ana is an accomplished journalist with various credentials in writing, reporting, and broadcasting. With a diverse background and a bachelor’s degree in communications from San Jose State University, Ana can deliver the news in a timely manner and share her opinions with confidence. Her other articles can be found here.
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