The Dallas Mavericks won Game 1 of their dramatic opening series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Wednesday, setting up a thrilling start to the NBA’s Western Conference playoffs.
Trailing 83-82 going into the fourth quarter, Luka Doncic scored a game-high 33 points to spark a comeback that saw the Mavericks win 108-105.
Throughout the first half, neither Doncic nor Anthony Edwards of Minnesota were very consistent, which kept the game tight the entire time. But Kyrie Irving scored a game-high twenty-four points in the first half to keep Dallas in it, and Doncic steadied himself over the next two quarters.
The Dallas Mavericks won Game 1 of their dramatic opening series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Wednesday, setting up a thrilling start to the NBA’s Western Conference playoffs.
Trailing 83-82 going into the fourth quarter, Luka Doncic scored a game-high 33 points to spark a comeback that saw the Mavericks win 108-105.
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Throughout the first half, neither Doncic nor Anthony Edwards of Minnesota were very consistent, which kept the game tight the entire time. But Kyrie Irving scored a game-high twenty-four points in the first half to keep Dallas in it, and Doncic steadied himself over the next two quarters.
What is your biggest takeaway from Game 1?
- Tim MacMahon: The Mavericks are in uncharted territory, winning a Game 1 under coach Jason Kidd for the first time in six tries. Dallas’ star duo of Doncic and Irving — coming off a pretty quiet second-round series, by their standards — took turns carrying Dallas in the opener. Irving scored 24 of his 30 points in the first half to keep the Mavs within striking distance. Doncic filled the closer role, scoring 15 of his 33 in the fourth quarter and making a couple of clutch defensive stops.
- Dave McMenamin: In what should be a long, competitive series, the Timberwolves already showed that failing to execute on the little things can make the difference. With 1:41 to go in Game 1, Towns was called for offensive goaltending; with 1:06 remaining, Mike Conley’s lob to Rudy Gobert was stolen by Doncic. Despite those critical miscues, the Wolves found a sliver of hope when, down by four points with less than two seconds remaining, Conley drew a 3-point shooting foul. To give Minnesota a chance, he had to make the first two free throws then purposely miss the third to allow for a tip-in opportunity. He missed the second, thwarting any chance at a long shot comeback. The Wolves were 11-for-18 from the line; the Mavs went 16-for-17.
- Brian Windhorst: You could feel the big-game experience of Doncic and Irving as compared to Edwards and Towns, and that became a defining storyline in Dallas’ Game 1 win. Irving proved it early, keeping the Mavs on pace while Minnesota virtually couldn’t miss. Doncic, meanwhile, proved it late with a brilliant individual scoring effort.
What is one big adjustment we could see in Game 2?
- MacMahon: The Mavs should adjust their tag-team centre rotation so that youngster Dereck Lively II gets more playing time. It’s tough to overlook the fact that the Mavs are minus-62 with Daniel Gafford in the starting lineup and plus-106 with Lively on the floor in the playoffs, but switching around the starting lineup would be too extreme at this stage, especially with a lead in the series.
- McMenamin: After scoring 62 points in the opening two quarters, the Wolves slowed down in the second half, managing just 43 points. Towns and Edwards bemoaned Minnesota’s pitiful 12 fast-break points following the loss. After the Wolves made a basket, Edwards also chastised himself for allowing Irving to beat him down the court for a layup. In Game 2, Minnesota seems primed to accelerate the tempo.
- Windhorst: The Mavs have announced their game plan: They will pack the paint and dare Minnesota to beat them with the outside shot. Dallas wants to put multiple bodies between Edwards, Towns and the rim. Edwards had to work extremely hard to create space for himself throughout Game 1, and Towns had no space when he was inside. In the first half, the Wolves were 11-of-25 on 3s. In the second half, Dallas’ strategy started to work, as Minnesota went 7-of-24 from deep, and Edwards and Towns were a combined 12-of-36 from the field. That is a winning formula.
Which role player will be the biggest X factor the rest of the series?
- MacMahon: P.J. Washington, the Mavs’ surprise star of the second round. He struggled from 3-point range for most of the opener, but he hit a clutch corner 3 in Game 1. He also was the primary defender on Towns, who was 6-of-20 from the floor. If Towns can’t get in a groove, it will be tough for the Timberwolves to win this series.
- McMenamin: Jaden McDaniels. It’s hard to ask for much more than what he gave in Game 1, especially through the first three quarters. Defensively, Doncic shot just 4-for-12 with McDaniels as the primary defender. Offensively, McDaniels scored 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting. But the fourth quarter was a different story: Doncic shot 4-for-7 against McDaniels, while McDaniels went 1-for-3 with two turnovers. Despite fading late, McDaniels should continue to have his fingerprints on both ends for the Wolves.
- Windhorst: Mike Conley. Any lingering impacts following his Achilles tendon injury are hard to predict, but the Wolves badly needed offensive organization and his calming influence down the stretch. Conley’s presence wasn’t felt in crunch time of Game 1, a crucial pivot point for the Wolves moving forward.
