The Dallas Mavericks stole a 108-105 win on the road to take a 1-0 lead in their Western Conference Finals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving stepped up for the Mavs as they combined for 63 points on the night. While Kyrie did his work in the first half with 24 points, Luka delivered for the team with a clutch performance to take them over the line.
Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II and PJ Washington once again showed up for the Dallas Mavericks as they combined for 32 points, but also put in their best effort on the defensive end. With the game approaching its end, the Mavs needed some stops to secure the win. Doncic, who is not known for his defense, stepped up and stopped a lob from reaching Rudy Gobert to give the Mavs an extra possession. This helped Dallas as Luka then went on to score a bucket and give Dallas the lead in the game.
Minnesota did a great job in trying to prevent any damage from the three-point line. They contained the Mavs to just 24% shooting from beyond the arc, but Jason Kidd’s men found other ways to hurt the T-Wolves. Anthony Edwards who has been the main man for Minnesota in the playoffs had an off night as he managed to score only 19 points. With Ant and Karl-Anthony Towns struggling, it was Jaden McDaniels who stepped up for the Wolves with a 24-point night. Chris Finch will now have the rally his troops and look for solutions quickly as a loss in Game 2 would put a lot of pressure on his team’s chances of making the NBA Finals.
Will the Luka-Kyrie backcourt be able to sustain their brilliance against the Timberwolves’ resilient defense ?
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving showed the world in Game 1, what they were capable of doing as a duo. Kyrie’s first-half exploits, followed by Doncic’s clutch display was enough to sink the T-Wolves. However, it is unlikely that this will be a trend for the remainder of the series. The T-Wolves are one of the best defensive sides in the league. They outplayed the Denver Nuggets with their defensive resilience, which made them the favourites in this series against the Dallas Mavericks.
Understandably, the T-Wolves are a little tired after their gruelling 7 game series against the Nuggets. They have had a few days to recover, but their performance in Game 1, indicated that they still are fatigued from the second-round series. But the T-Wolves will have to make efforts to fight their fatigue as Game 2 is not too far away. Defense has been their calling card and if they are to make a push to win this series, they will have to show more energy against the Dallas Mavericks.
They have a solid roster, with all players capable of guarding multiple positions. However, their abilities will be tested as Luka and Kyrie are two of the most gifted offensive talents in the league. Even if the T-Wolves are able to clamp them, the Mavs have other players who can step up and win games for them. While Anthony Edwards could run the show and win the game, he will also face a lot of challenges as the likes of PJ Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. have the ability to stop some of the best players in the league.
