Tonight was the start of the Western Conference Finals with the Minnesota Timberwolves battling it out against the Dallas Mavericks. As expected, it was a wicked clash with the teams constantly trading blows. One minute the Timberwolves would be up by two and then you’d blink and suddenly the Mavs had a three-point lead.
In the end, it was the Dallas Mavericks who took home the well-deserved 108-105 game. The down to the wire win kept people on the edge of their seats as no team could hold the lead for long periods of time. This was a true playoff basketball game that brought fans from both sides’ excitement.
Kyrie Irving’s First Half Finesse Leads the Way
Kyrie Irving was the dominant offensive player for the Dallas Mavericks in this game. He gave the Minnesota Timberwolves a very tough time in the key with his great fadeaways and his ability to slip by the defense for the easy layup.
This was a crucial game for Irving, with teammate Luka Doncic struggling to get started offensively. Doncic would eventually wake up and completely take over in the second half, but Irving was the man to keep the Mavs in reaching distance every time they began to fall behind. Luka Magic was definitely present, but Kyrie Irving was the real sorcerer in game one.
Mavs Defense Put the Clamps on Anthony Edwards
Edwards has been one of the biggest stars in the league throughout the regular season and the postseason. His explosiveness and ability to light up the floor have had some people comparing him to Michael Jordan. However, tonight the Dallas Mavericks played great defense on the star shutting him down completely. Thankfully, Jaden McDaniels was playing amazing on the offensive and defensive end, but with Edwards being off it smelled trouble for the T-Wolves.
Edwards is averaging 28.9 points per game during the playoffs. At just 22 years old, this is a fantastic stat. The problem is he hasn’t been showing up in recent games. It was difficult for him to put up a shot past the three-point line with the Mavericks swarming on him. Tonight, he only had 19 points, but he still gave the team 11 rebounds and eight assists. However, this was not enough to bring them the win.
Can The Dallas Mavericks Do It Again?
At around the 8-minute mark, it looked like the Minnesota Timberwolves had all of their mojo taken from them. Dallas’s defense had them throwing the ball away and scrambling with a late shot clock. The T-Wolves’ chance to win was in the first half when Doncic wasn’t locked into the game. In the fourth quarter the Slovenian phenom had truly taken over the game.
It seemed like Anthony Edwards would dig his team out of their small deficit, but his electric three-point shot wasn’t enough to get them going. Even with the Mavericks bricking shots and Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns nailing key baskets, the win would go to the Dallas Mavericks.
About the Author
Elizabeth is an avid watcher of all things sports. However, the Boston sports teams will always be her number one. Her favorite sport to watch is basketball, but she also enjoys professional wrestling, soccer, and baseball. You can find her on X @edellapiana1 to check out more content.
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