It’s been an intense battle with the Mavericks and Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals. They clinched their series with four dramatic wins against the first and second seeds to advance to the Western Conference finals.
The Dallas Mavericks started their series slowly dominating while the Minnesota Timberwolves started their series with quick domination but declined in performance, yet both teams won their series. Thus, which team has a better chance of winning the Western Conference finals and who are the players to watch out for?
NBA Predictions: Dallas Mavericks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
The two questions to answer are as follows:
- Can the Timberwolves break the Mavericks’ playoff home win streak?
- Can the Mavericks prove the Timberwolves wrong despite their loss history with them and win the finals?
Now these are some factors to consider to predict the Western Conference finals winner.
Firstly, the Minnesota Timberwolves are very competitive and the battle stat between them and the Denver Nuggets is evidence. Though they almost lost their series to the NBA Championship defenders, the Timberwolves could still contend and match the Nuggets performance to beat them. Therefore, this experience prepares them to contest with experienced NBA championship contenders.
On the other hand, the Dallas Mavericks have been NBA championship contenders, therefore they have a better experience as contenders than the Timberwolves. It’s important to note that the Western Conference third seed hasn’t gotten to the playoff semi-finals since 2004. Therefore, the team doesn’t have so much playoff experience which gives the Mavericks the upper hand in that area.
Secondly, in the last five games between the Mavericks and the Timberwolves, the Timberwolves won 4-1, averaging 118 points per game. Also, the Mavericks haven’t lost in their home twice in their last playoff games this 2023-24 NBA season. Finally, both teams have hard-to-guard guards that perform exceptionally even in bad games.
Who Will Win The 2023-24 NBA Western Conference Finals?
For the Minnesota Timberwolves to win these scenarios have to put the odds in their favor
- Dallas Mavericks would start the series slow but wouldn’t add momentum
- Minnesota Timberwolves need to let their guards up and be extra aggressive and competitive, just like with the Denver Nuggets
- Beat the Dallas Mavericks in their home twice
Now, for the Dallas Mavericks to win these scenarios must fall into place
- Take advantage of the Timberwolves when there is a decline in performance.
- Maintain their unbeaten twice home streak and win more away games
- Pay attention to the details of the game as this is what caused the Oklahoma City Thunder’s downfall
Finally, factoring these odds in terms of experience and advantages, I’d say that the Minnesota Wolves should win this 2023 – 24 Western Conference final because they have more home-court advantage than the Mavericks and good defensive rebound records.
NBA Highlight: Players To Watch In The 2023-24 Western Conference Finals
Dallas Mavericks’ All-Star: Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic has been amazing this NBA series as he tops his conference with three triple-doubles averaging 27.3 points, 9.1 assists, and 9.7 rebounds in 12 games. In the regular season, the four-time NBA All-Star averaged 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists as he outperforms his teammates and leads the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals.
Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star: Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards has been phenomenal in this 2023-24 playoff series against his idol’s team, the Phoenix Suns, and the NBA Champion Defenders, the Denver Nuggets. He joined the Minnesota Timberwolves as their number one draft pick and has played in four seasons. The Minnesota All-Star averaged 28.9 PPG, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in 11 playoff games in the 2023-23 NBA season.
Other players to watch are Dereck Lively II, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford from the Dallas Mavericks; Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert from Minnesota Timberwolves.
About the Author
Wisdom is an email and brand copywriter with two years of content writing experience. He started Cloud Kitchen Concept to help startups and business owners elevate their brands from good to great. You can connect with him on LinkedIn and Instagram to enjoy cooked meals for your business’s growth.
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