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Dallas overwhelms Minnesota in the final phase
After the break, Dallas went to the line for four free throws in the first four minutes. Throughout the game, petty whistles were repeatedly noticed, especially for the Conference Finals. For the Wolves, Conley, Gobert and McDaniels had already received four fouls in the third quarter. However, Dallas did not score much from the field in the meantime, while Edwards had by far his best minutes of the series.
He scored eight points in a row for the Wolves without missing a shot, including a poster dunk over Gafford,to equalize for the first time since the beginning. The score remained equal until the end of the quarter, 87:87. The back and forth didn’t stop in the first final quarter, while Edwards and Doncic sat on the bench. For Dallas, Irving stepped up a gear at the start of the quarter, while Kyle Anderson and Conley took over responsibility for the Wolves.
Just in time for the last five minutes, the Wolves’ big ice time broke out. Anderson made his fifth shot without a mistake, then Minnesota only scored a single point until the game was decided.
Wolves want to blitz Doncic, which means attacking with two defenders after a screen. This leads to a 4-on-3 for Dallas, where Lively makes good decisions as a ball distributor, while that is not one of Gafford’s strengths.
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Mavs vs. Wolves: The most important statistics
Dallas Mavericks (W5) – Minnesota Timberwolves (W3) 116:107 (BOXSCORE), Series: 3-0
- The Wolves have lost the first three games of the series by a total of 13 points, scoring 22 points twice in the fourth quarter and now 20. In Game 3, Dallas finished the game with a 14-3 run.
- Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic combined to score more points than the Wolves in the final quarter (21). They are the first backcourt duo to score at least 30 points in three games during a playoff run.
- For Karl-Anthony Towns, it was the first game of his career with at least eight long-range shots without a hit. In the series so far, he has sunk only 3/22 from downtown for 13.6 percent.
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Mavs vs. Wolves: The voices on the game
Stan van Gundy (TNT) on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving: “We see the most talented backcourt in NBA history.”
Naz Reid (Minnesota Timberwolves): “If anyone can win four in a row in this scenario, it’s us.”
Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks) on what he said to Anthony Edwards after the game: “I can’t say that on TV.”
Chris Finch (Head Coach Minnesota Timberwolves): “You have to try to catch up with them in scoring. We’ve had trouble finishing games all series.”
2024-05-27 03:14:58
#Dallas #Mavericks #win #NBA #Finals #Luka #Doncic #Kyrie #Irving #excel
