Dallas Mavs Make NBA Playoff History in WCF Game 1 Win vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
For several reasons, the Dallas Mavericks are feeling good after a 108-105 win in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Not only did the Mavs' star backcourt duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving score at will en route to a combined 63-point night, but the team's interior defense was excellent for most of the night as well, as rookie big man Dereck Lively II held Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert to 0-10 shooting from the floor when he was the primary defender.
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All of that was great for the Mavs, but what they should really be encouraged by was the fact that they outlasted a Timberwolves hot-shooting night from 3-point range. Minnesota hit 18 shots from deep to the Mavs' six. Dallas became the fifth team in NBA playoff history to lose the 3-pointers made margin by 12 or more and still win the game.
It would be one thing if the Mavs had won Game 1 with several Timberwolves players having bad shooting nights, but given that Minnesota shot the 3-ball as well as it did while having six of eight players score in double-digits, it's feasible to think Dallas could take full control of this series with a win in Game 2 as well.
“It’s big time," Doncic said of his Mavs stealing home-court advantage from the Timberwolves. "We know how tough it is to play in this place, especially against a team like Timberwolves. They have so many weapons, so it was big time to get this win.”
Dallas and Minnesota will tip off Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals at Target Center on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. CT. You can catch the game on TNT. Stay tuned to DallasBasketball.com and our Mavs Step Back Podcast for more Mavs coverage leading up to Game 2.
