1. The Wolves needed Naz’s last three and they didn’t get it
On a night in which stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards combined to go 9 for 33, Timberwolves Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid made eight of his 13 shots.
Oh, and seven three-pointers. But on a night when the Wolves needed an eighth, their chance at a 3-pointer before the buzzer failed in a crushing last-second 109-108 loss to Dallas on Friday night at Target Center.
Dallas first-team All-NBA guard Luka Doncic’s only basket in the fourth quarter was a step-back and three-point winner over Wolves big man Rudy Gobert with three seconds left after the Wolves They will lead 108-106. Doncic finished with a triple double of 32 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds.
With Towns on the bench, the Wolves looked for Reid twice to beat them in the final 13 seconds, but Edwards threw a pass looking for Reid, setting up Doncic’s game-winning goal.
2. The Mavs’ changes show the difference
The Mavericks transformed their athleticism, their rim protection and their team with trade deadline moves that brought them spring forward center Daniel Gafford and power forward PJ Washington. At the same time, rookie Dereck Lively began to live up to his last name as the season progressed.
In Friday’s win, Gafford and Lively combined to go 14 of 16 for 30 points (Gafford 16, Lively 14) on a Friday night when they, not Doncic or Irving, sent the Mavericks home to Dallas with a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference final.
“On championship teams, the right pieces fall into place,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said before Friday’s game. “Sometimes it’s like a number one pick: sometimes you get it right, sometimes you don’t. That’s what makes sports fun: putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Sometimes, they fit. Sometimes everyone thinks they’ll fit, but it comes out wrong. result”. Another way.”
3. Is there a better way to defend Doncic?
TNT’s studio team, outside the studio and in Minnesota for these first two games, approved the adjustments Wolves coach Chris Finch made in Game 2, particularly analyst Kenny Smith. The Wolves double-teamed Doncic much more frequently than they did in Game 1.
The Wolves doubled to get the ball out of Doncic’s hands, but one of the defenders (Reid and Kyle Anderson often) dropped down to defend the paint and the rim.
4. Waiting for Goberto
The Wolves waited a season for Towns and Gobert to recover and learn to play with each other.
So did the Mavericks’ Doncic-Irving backcourt.
They combined for 63 points in Game 1. In Game 2, Doncic led them both with that triple-double, while Irving scored 20 points.
“I think some people give up too soon,” Irving said Friday morning. “Obviously you can have a three- or four-year career. But I think people give up too soon in the first year or two.” years to try to push guys to be very successful right away.
5. Where did that streak of 20 points in three games go?
After three straight 20-point games, the Wolves’ top defender, Jaden McDaniels, missed his first five shots, including 0 of 3 on 3-pointers, and didn’t make a shot until midway through the third quarter.
He finished 1 of 6 for two points and did not make a three-pointer.
6. Let’s prepare for the fight…
Wolves big man Rudy Gobert and Mavericks first-team All NBA Luka Doncic locked eyes during a confrontation when Gobert stepped up to steal the ball from Doncic. He committed a hard foul that Doncic took offense to.
What do you think would be the Tale of the Tape for a match like that? To start, we’ll take Gobert’s scope.
7. What a way to start a game…
A day after coach Chris Finch criticized his team for its performance, attitude and attention to detail in Game 1, the Wolves needed just 34 seconds to prove that they shouldn’t have listened one bit.
They were forced to call a timeout after the Mavericks scored the first basket of the game. Conley picked it up bouncing under the basket, but his four other teammates turned their backs on him and ran to the opposite end of the court.
With no one there to catch the pass, Conley had to call a timeout very early.
8. Remembering George Floyd a day before May 25
Fans held a moment of silence before the game to remember George Floyd, who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer four years ago Saturday. His image was displayed on the overhead scoreboard during the break and several members of Floyd’s family were present.
9. Bringing back the Timberwolves of yesteryear
Wolves Alumni Sightings: Original Timberwolf Doug West from that 1989-90 first team, former Trail Blazer/Wolf Terry Porter and former first-round pick John Thomas, a member of the Gophers’ 1997 Final Four team . Mike Modano, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and former North Stars number one Draft pick. Former NBA No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden (2007, Ohio State teammate with Conley. Local hip-hop artist Atmosphere. And, of course, Wolves minority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodríguez, as majority owner, Glen Taylor, sat on the court, on opposite sides as well.
10. Fans win free chicken but go home losers by one point.
The sold-out crowd announced that 19,363 received fried chicken sandwiches after the opponent, Irving of all players, missed consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter. Irving missed both with 1:44 left and the Wolves led 106-103, then he came back 40 seconds later and made a cool 3-pointer with 1:05 left that brought his team within 108-106.
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