A lack of composure down the stretch cost the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Mavericks, head coach Chris Finch lamented after Wednesday’s game.
“It cost us a game in the Denver series. It certainly had an impact on this game, too,” Finch said, per Jon Krawcznyski of The Athletic said. “We’ve got to be better in clutch moments.”
Despite the Timberwolves’ size, they were manhandled in the paint, Krawczynski notes. Dallas outscored them 62-38 in the lane and out-rebounded them, 48-40.
“I’ve got to do a better job on the rebounds,” Rudy Gobert said. “I can’t let these guys just get offensive rebounds. I’ll be better.”
In a similar vein, Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns looked lethargic.
“We didn’t play with enough energy,” Towns said. “We just looked tired. We didn’t move as well as we usually do.”
We have more on the Timberwolves:
- Mike Conley believes the team will benefit from its late-game slide, when it was outscored 10-3 in the final 3:37, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Minnesota also committed half of its 10 turnovers in the fourth quarter. “I think we haven’t been tested like this where we’ve had to trade basket to basket, late-game free throw situations or fouling situations, stuff that we have to be better at,” Conley said. “But we’ll learn from it. I think each game we’ve learned a lot about ourselves, a lot we can get better at. Obviously, it’s going to be a long series, regardless of what happened tonight.”
- While the Timberwolves faced major defensive challenges in the first two series against Phoenix and Denver, finding a way to control Dallas’ dynamic duo of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic presents their toughest task in these playoffs, Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune opines. The two star guards combined for 63 points in Game 1.
- In a comprehensive feature, The Athletic’s Krawczynski and Joe Vardon detail how Edwards is poised to become the NBA’s next major American-born star.
What exactly makes Doncic and Irving duo substantially different from the Jokic and Murray duo? Jokic is literally the MVP.
It seems like the exact same thing to me, except that Murray and Jokic weren’t at their best, while Doncic and Irving are, so far.
plus Murray is straight up better than Kyrie at this point in their careers
He definitely is not.
Yeah, Jokic only averaged 30, 11 and 8.
Pathetic.
Not sure if that’s directed as me but if so then I think you are misreading. I am comparing duos, not players. As a combined unit, Jokic and Murray were not anywhere near their best. If we go into the details then sure, Jokic was great and that was 99% Murray’s fault, who averaged 20 ppg instead of 26, 40% instead of 47%, with fewer assists rebounds.
But the point is, the combined performances of Irving and Doncic are very good right now, and the combined efforts of Murray and Jokic were not as good as they have been in prior years.
Murray got flustered nearly every time the Wolves sent a trap or double at him and they just wore Jokic down by having Towns and Reid play physical defense.
Jokic is mostly stationary while his cutters and shooters move around him making him an easier target for physical play. Luka and Irving are the ones moving around in Dallas’ offense making it hard to get too physical and you be hard pressed to find two players better at navigating traps and doubles than Irving or Doncìc.
I’m not saying one duo is better than the other just pointing out where they’re different. The Wolves will have to adjust and they’ve the personnel to do so.
Murray was injured…
He’s a better player than Kyrie but not when he’s at 70% because of the calf…
Doncic 33 points
Irving 30 points
Edwards + Towns = 35 points
Doncic is 25 years old
Edwards is 22 years old
Doncic is a better player than Edwards
Unless Wolves have a better bench, they are not beating Mavs
Doncic is a boring 90s style player. If the wolves lose its on them. Mavs aren’t very good.
Somebody didn’t watch the Mavs post-TD, huh.
At this point I don’t think you can suggest any team “isn’t very good”. It’s the conference finals.
Luka jacked up 26 shots to get to that many points and his +/- was -9. Ant didn’t have a good game either. He was way too passive on the offense but based on last night’s game I wouldn’t call Luka better. He just took more shots but he didn’t impact the game. That was Kyrie’s game.
Luka’s 15 in the 4th didn’t impact the game?
Baloney,the Mavericks are very good and Doncic is spectacular.
This series is gonna take a lot from both sides…
The West is a bloodbath…